A World On Fire
by Queerologist
Summary: TITLE CHANGE! Swan Queen Student/Teacher AU! Escaping from her troubled past, 19 year old Emma Swan decides to uproot her entire life and get her high school diploma in the odd, little town of Storybrooke. But, when she forms a cataclysmic connection with her fiery, yet mysterious teacher, Regina Mills, Emma isn't sure whether enrolling back into school was a blessing or a curse.
1. The Woman In Red

**Chapter One:** _The Woman In Red_

* * *

The early morning sun's rays beat down harshly against the small town of Storybrooke, washing it in a delicate orange glow despite the feverish heat that it emanated. It was the beginning of September, autumn was generally on the rise by then, and yet the entire state of Maine seemed to be suddenly struck with a brutal heat wave. The temperature was debilitating, excruciatingly so, and left the citizens with raw, red cheeks, burning lungs, and the desire to stay inside pressed against their air conditioners. But, not everyone had such luxuries, namely Emma Swan, who was passed out in the backseat of her tiny, yellow bug, with sweat beading across her overheated flesh.

As the heat continued to rise while the minutes passed, the blonde groaned deeply within her chest, rousing from her sleep as she cautiously opened one green eye. Hissing as the bright, morning light burned her retina, Emma threw her sticky arm across her face and waited for a moment to pass before attempting again. The second time was more successful, so much so, that the blonde blinked open both, bleary eyes. Shifting her body from its awkward position, the girl cursed under her breath as she felt the dull pain of her heated flesh rip away from the leather of the seat. Once she was sitting, Emma wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand and fled the stuffy car, but once she was standing on the sidewalk, she quickly realized the heat was just as unbearable outside.

"Jesus," the blonde whispered under her breath, her throat dry and scratchy. Coughing from the slight irritation, Emma grabbed the outfit she had picked out for her first day of classes and slammed the door shut. Tucking the clothes under her arm, Emma made her way into Granny's, the homey little diner that made the girl curiously comfortable, and leaned against the counter, relishing in the cool air that seemed to flow easily throughout the establishment.

"Emma!" Came a high-pitched voice, somewhere between a shriek and a gasp. Chuckling lightly, the blonde nodded to the server who dashed over towards her. "Ready for your first day?"

"Not so much," Emma sighed, gripping the edge of the counter with shaky hands as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Hey, Ruby, mind if I use your restroom for a minute?"

"Yeah, go for it," the brunette responded, her tone dialing back a bit as she acknowledged the other girl's current, deflated mood, "I'll make your coffee while you're doing your thing. Large black, right?"

"You got it," the blonde smiled stiffly, feeling her nerves tighten the muscles in her stomach, "and thanks, I really appreciate it."

Backing away from the counter, Emma headed towards the bathroom and quickly closed and locked the door. Resting her forehead on the cool wood, the blonde tried to settle her breathing, feeling the sudden spin of an anxiety attack flittering throughout her extremities. Focusing on taking deep, full breaths, the blonde felt her body slowly begin to wind down, and she turned away from the door, trying to distract herself with getting dressed.

She knew that she was going to be nervous that day, of course she did, but Emma had no idea that the notion of going back to school was going to throw her entire body into a fit of anxiety. Part of her wanted to back down and try again some other time, but the other, more determined part of herself begged her to go. Emma wanted to scream as she stripped off her clothes and threw them into a pile on the floor. She wasn't a kid anymore, the time for moments like these had passed her by years ago, and yet, there was still that aching, sobbing mess of a girl deep within her heart that just wanted to hide away from potential judgement and failure.

Would everyone know she was older than they were? Would they judge her for that? Would everyone be able to see how she wasn't intelligent, or equipped enough for an academic setting? Would they all think she would fail? The incessant questions ran through her brain wildly as she threw on her dark washed jeans, and white tank top. Taking a shaking breath, Emma slowly approached the sink, and looked up into the mirror. Groaning, she turned the faucet on and leaned forward, splashing cold water on her overheated, and exhausted face. Patting her skin dry with paper towel, the blonde paused as she looked into her own green eyes, noticing the fear that resided there. Sighing, Emma leaned forward, dropping the damp paper towel as she gripped the edge of the sink for balance. "You can do this, Swan," she whispered to her reflection softly, "fuck what anybody else thinks. You're doing this for you. You've got this."

The quick pep talk seemed to make all the difference, and Emma could instantly feel the weight on her chest start to lift. Closing her tired eyes, the blonde took a couple of steps back and looked at herself once more. She looked relatively put together, for once, she thought to herself as she ran her fingers through her tangled blonde hair, deciding to tie it back in a ponytail. Brushing errant, blonde strands of hair from her cheeks, she reached for the black and white plaid flannel that sat on the toilet. Pondering whether she could bear to wear it in the crippling heat. Shrugging, the blonde quickly grabbed it, and tied it around her waist. Slipping her boots back onto her feet, Emma gave herself one last glance in the mirror before she vacated the bathroom.

Once back out in the main area of the diner, Emma took a seat on one of the empty stools and collected her coffee from Ruby. Taking a sip of the bitter, scalding beverage, the blonde grimaced for a moment, realizing, too late that the choice of a hot drink probably wasn't the best idea in this weather. Ignoring her throat's anguished refusal, Emma quickly gulped it down, letting the caffeine infiltrate her blood stream. As she felt the coffee begin to work it's magic, she idly chatted with Ruby, making comfortable conversation as she finished off the last of her beverage. Scrounging for loose change once her mug was empty, Emma placed a meager tip on the counter and headed back to the bathroom to collect her dirty clothes. Gathering them in her arms, the blonde slowly left the diner and stalked back to her car.

Opening the door of the backseat, Emma placed the dirty garments in a large plastic bag of laundry. Sighing, she tried to force her body to adjust to the heat of the morning to no avail, instead, she merely shut the door and rounded the car before awkwardly collapsing into the driver's side. Pulling her keys out of her pocket, the blonde decided she would head to the school a bit earlier than everyone else so she could explore and become more comfortable with the layout. With this thought in mind, Emma put the key in the ignition and turned, the car started up immediately, but the blonde's grip on the steering wheel tightened as she heard the familiar, disappointing sound of a clinking, metallic noise in her engine. She needed oil. Again.

"For fuck sakes," the blonde grumbled to herself as she cut the engine and stretched her arm out towards the floor of the passenger seat. Finding what she was looking for, she gripped a full bottle of engine oil between her fingers, and huffed a final time before fleeing the car. Stomping to the back end of the unreliable vehicle, Emma lifted the trunk door and untwisted the cap to her oil reservoir. "Every fucking time," the blonde muttered under her breath, as she removed the safety seal from the bottle with her teeth. As the topper popped off and rolled underneath her car, green eyes narrowed in pure annoyance. But, the severe irritation didn't sit long before Emma was distracted by a beautiful, black Mercedes pulling up in front of her yellow piece of shit. "Damn…"

Green eyes slowly appreciated the polished exterior, and the pristine condition of such an old model. If Emma would have been the overenthusiastic type, she would have whistled, but she wasn't, so instead she just let her gaze eat up the pure beauty of it. That is, until the owner of the car stepped out, and came into Emma's line of sight. A breath got stuck in Emma's throat then, as she felt her entire body stiffen, and tense, almost as if she were paralyzed. The woman's black hair was glossy, and shone a dark shade of blue in the brilliant light of the sun. Her cheeks were angular, and defined, sun kissed and luminous like the rest of her olive skin seemed to be. Hooded green eyes greedily ate up the vision before her, noting full lips painted a deep red that matched the colour of the brunette's form fitting dress. The fabric hugged every inch of the dark woman's curvy body, ending a few delicious inches above her knees. Emma knew that if she had the ability to use her vocal chords she would have groaned in that moment.

Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Emma's eyes widened as she found the other woman's black eyes staring into her own, a small glimmer of amusement residing there. As the woman neared, the blonde could feel her body pulsating to the fervent beat of her heart, and she willed her eyes to look away from the stranger, and yet she couldn't. Licking her lips distractedly, she merely watched in awe as the brunette continued to move, her hips swaying the slightest bit, until there was only a couple of paces separating the two women.

"You're getting wet," the other woman purred, her voice rich and sultry as her dark eyes bore into the blonde's. Emma watched breathlessly as the brunette leaned forward, "…what?" the blonde asked quietly, her tongue feeling thick and weighed down in her mouth. Full red lips curled into the slightest hint of a smirk as the brunette slowly lowered her heavy gaze to Emma's clenched hands. Following the stranger's trail with her own eyes, the blonde looked down in horror as dark, thick oil gurgled from the opening, dripping down her fingers and wrist.

"Shit!" Emma shouted, loosening her hold on the bottle, and trying desperately to scoop some of the excess oil back into its container. Feeling the fluid ooze between her fingers, the blonde switched the bottle to the other hand and quickly started to pour it into her car. "Thanks for…" Emma trailed off as she realized the woman in red had vanished. Kicking herself mentally as she fumbled with the now empty container, the blonde stowed it away in the backseat of her car before hurrying back into the diner.

Bracing herself against the counter, Emma flagged down her friend, "Ruby, you got any napkins?" Lifting her hands in the air to show the slender brunette the black mess on her fingers. "It's an emergency!"

Gaping at the oil running down the blonde's wrists, Ruby quickly reached under the counter and pulled back with a handful of paper towel. "I'm sorry," she said in a stilted tone as she passed them to Emma, "they're all I have up front."

Quickly gathering the thin, disposable towels in her grasp, Emma shook her head as a way to try and reassure the helpful girl, "it's cool, don't sweat it, Ruby. Thank you!"

Eyeing the clock with worry creasing her fair brow, the blonde wrapped the layers of paper towels around her fingers, praying they would remove enough of the residue from her skin. As she noted the time, Emma felt herself start to panic, but, as her gaze fell upon a familiar form, her nerves seemed to flutter away instantaneously. The woman in red stood across the room, at the opposite end of the counter, waiting for her order. Grazing her teeth lightly against her bottom lip, Emma found herself slowly being pulled towards the brunette until she stood just behind her.

"Hi…" the blonde started, her voice coming out far too quiet to surpass the din of the diner, and she swallowed before attempting again with more volume. "Hey!" Slightly startled by the sudden voice behind her, the brunette cocked her head to the side and looked Emma over once again, her lips twitching as she slowly turned around to face the blonde.

"Hello," she nodded, her dark eyes rolling slightly as she watched Emma flounder within herself to find something to say. After a moment passed, the woman noted her order was ready, and she reached for it, but paused once the blonde finally stuttered out a sentence.

"Uh…thanks for, well—" Emma awkwardly motioned to her fingers as she continued sopping the oil off of her hands, chuckling with a tone of self-deprecation, "…letting me know about _this_."

"It was my pleasure," the brunette breathed, swiftly taking her iced coffee from the counter. "You seemed…" she stopped for a moment as she wrapped her full, red lips around her straw, dark eyes raking over Emma's body as she took a slow, deep drink, "…awfully distracted, after all."

Blood rushed to the blonde's cheeks instantly at the display, and the indirect callout from the other woman. Feeling the blush deepen as she continued to stare, Emma quietly cleared her throat, hoping to center herself enough to speak. "Do you have a name?" The blonde wondered, her new found sense of bravado saturating the question as she tried to lean against the counter coolly, which instead probably came across as clumsy.

"I do," the brunette nodded, her full lips parting in a breathtaking smile as she crept forward, her mouth only inches from Emma's ear, "it's _not interested_."

"You looked pretty interested." The blonde argued in jest, an endearing, lopsided grin gracing her lips as she watched the brunette pull back, her expression completely blank, except for her eyes, which still held a sliver of curiosity in their dark depths. Scoffing at the remark, the woman in red brushed past Emma and left the diner, the melodic jingle of the bell above the door announcing her departure.

Cursing under her breath, the blonde balled the paper towel between her hands as she raced outside after the brunette. The woman was idly standing beside Emma's car, as if she were waiting for the blonde to follow her. And, as soon as Emma approached her, the brunette looked up, an expression of knowing in her eyes as she started walking away towards her car.

"If I were interested," she started, as she rounded the Benz, her fingers poised on the handle of the door, "I would have told you my name's Regina."

"But, you just told me," Emma acknowledged, her heart hammering in her chest as she watched the woman in red open the door to her car.

Dark eyes flashed deviously in the blonde's direction, and Emma was sure she could see some kind of interest pique there. The flash of a tongue flicking over full lips almost made the blonde ignore the last words the brunette said before she got into her car and pulled away: "you're right, _I did_."

"Regina," Emma whispered to herself as she took a moment to watch the mysterious woman vanish away down the street. She reveled in the way the name felt against her tongue. Humming with bemused bliss, the blonde slowly fell back into reality when her phone jingled in her pocket. Pulling it out in a daze, Emma nearly shrieked as she noticed the alarm going off. It was ten minutes to eight; she had ten minutes before the first bell, and fifteen minutes before the final bell. "Fuck!" She hissed under her breath, racing around to the other side of her car, praying the extra oil would give it the boost it needed.

Clenching her jaw tightly as she pushed the key into the ignition and started the engine. The blonde released a loud sigh of relief as she noted the noise hadn't returned. Peeling out of her parking space, Emma sped down the street, going as much over the speed limit as she could without it being acknowledged. Luckily, the traffic was slim, and it only took several minutes for Emma to find herself in the parking lot of Storybrooke Regional High.

Shutting the yellow bug down, the blonde threw herself out of the car, nearly forgetting her messenger bag in the passenger seat in her haste. Throwing her bag over her shoulder, Emma broke out into a run as she noticed no one idling in the courtyard. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," the blonde growled quietly as she picked up her speed as she ran up the entrance stairs.

Flinging open the large, glass door, Emma hurried inside, being met with a gracious whip of cool air against her face. Noticing a couple of straggling students shuffling through the atrium, the blonde raced towards them, hoping desperately that one of them could point her in the right direction.

"Hey!" Emma shouted to the small group of teenagers, all of their eyes falling on her as she jogged towards them. "Any of you wanna tell me how to get to the English wing?" Their faces were blank, and bored, and the blonde would have pummeled all of them for their listless apathy if she had more time, but she was running thin on minutes, and she needed their help.

"Up the stairs and hang a left," a short, dark haired girl mumbled as she passed by the small group, her eyes glued to her phone.

"Thank you," Emma called over her shoulder as she dashed for the stairs, clumsily tripping up them a couple of times as she hurried. Her breath was stuttering in her throat and her lungs were burning, but the blonde swallowed against the pain as she threw open the red doors of, what she assumed was, the English wing.

As the blonde slowed down the slightest bit, she couldn't seem to fathom how she remembered she had AP English first. Making herself nervous as she gazed upon the numbered doors, Emma quickly pulled her phone out to check her schedule. Yes. She was right. Finally something was going her way. Stashing her phone in her pocket, Emma jogged down the long red and white hallway until her gaze fell upon the classroom number she was looking for: 223. Almost crying in relief, the blonde sprinted the last few yards towards the room, her boots pounding loudly against the tiled floor. Skidding to a halt as she reached the classroom, her breath coming out in hot bursts and she pressed the half closed door open.

The very tips of Emma's boots just barely skidded over the threshold to the classroom as the final bell signaled loudly through the halls. Taking a deep, steadying breath as her eyes gazed at the staring faces of her fellow classmates, Emma smiled sheepishly before heading further into the room. Seeing an available seat near the back, the blonde hurried down the aisle trying not to disturb any of the other students who were all already seated.

"Ms. Swan, I presume?" The familiar voice made Emma's body instantly stop its movements as she felt something in her lower abdomen clench viciously. Swallowing hard, Emma slowly turned and sat at her desk before allowing her green eyed gaze to fall towards the front of the classroom where the voice had come from. Biting down hard on her bottom lip, Emma visibly shivered as she saw the woman in red from earlier standing in front of the room, her hands poised on her hips in warning.

"Do try and be more punctual next time, dear," the brunette drawled, her lips curling into a devious smirk as her black eyes simmered with a fire Emma couldn't quite comprehend, "or face the consequences."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! So, after that Swan Queen one-shot I recently uploaded, I've been bombarded with ideas for more Swan Queen fics, because clearly I'm falling back into this ship with a vengeance, haha. But, I wanted to try my hand at a Swan Queen student/teacher AU. So, here it is, PLEASE let me know how you feel about it so far. I have a couple other chapters I'm finishing up, but I want to keep myself ahead of the game, so I may wait a bit before I upload more. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and please let me know your thoughts in the form of a review!**


	2. Untouched

**Chapter Two:** _Untouched_

* * *

The classroom filled with a stilted, uncomfortable silence as the two women stared openly at each other; the other students murmuring among themselves as they watched in rapt attention, begging for something worth seeing to occur. The thick tension that hung within the air of the room made everyone feel put off, except for the blonde and brunette who continued to challenge one another wordlessly. A dull fire roared within Emma's green eyes at the embarrassment her teacher had caused her, and Regina's face contorted into an expression of unadulterated pleasure at her victory. This was exactly what she had wanted, and Emma had given it to her willingly, without thought.

Nodding solemnly as she gave up the silent battle, knowing this was one she could never win, the blonde reverted her glowering gaze to the top of her desk in defeat. The goosebumps that covered the skin of her arms remained prominent as she continued to feel dark eyes raking along her body. After another heated moment passed, Regina seemingly basking in her achievement, while the other, confused students looked to Emma for some sort of explanation. But, of course, the blonde gave them none, and within seconds the tension dissipated, everyone focusing back on their own desks, and backpacks, pretending that nothing had ever happened.

The soft click of high heels against the linoleum tile cut through the quiet, drawing all of the students' attention back to the front of the classroom. Taking a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, Emma slowly relaxed back into her chair, looking ahead of her beneath her full lashes, chancing a glance towards her teacher. Regina stood behind her desk, gathering up a bundle of papers absently, counting through them with a poised grace before straightening up again. Her face was devoid of all mischief, instead, her lips were forced into a tight smile as her gaze took in the various students who looked up at her.

"As I'm sure you all know, this is an advanced placement English class," the brunette's voice held a tone of authority as she paced confidently before the rows of teenagers, all of their eyes focused on her. "And, like any accelerated course, the material will be more _difficult_ , the deadlines will be _tighter_ , and the work will be _harder_."

With every suggestively emphasized word, Emma bit down harder, and harder on her bottom lip until she nearly yelped from the pain. It hadn't helped matters that dark eyes seemed trained on her form as she spoke, watching the blonde student quizzically.

"Now, with that being said, I understand that advanced placement isn't for everyone, and please note that it is not a necessity to graduate." Pausing for a moment, Regina couldn't help but to shoot a quick glance at Emma, licking her lips as she noticed the discomfort that riddled her student's lithe body. Turning away to focus on the rest of the class, the brunette continued on. "If you don't feel comfortable with my expectations, please feel free to discuss the issues you have with me. I am tough, but fair, and if you are struggling with my course load, I will be more than happy to help you with your transition back to academic English."

Hearing the familiar sound of a challenge in the teacher's voice, Emma sat up straighter in her seat, clasping her hands tightly on her desk. The crackle of power that seemed to ripple from the brunette's body as she spoke to the class was intoxicating, but it didn't stop the blonde from promising herself that she would do whatever she could to do well in this course. If it was a challenge Regina wanted, Emma would be more than happy to sate that need for her.

"Today, I wanted to start off with the course syllabus. It outlines the literature we will be studying, the number of tests you will taking, and a rubric breaking down my evaluation process." The entire room was silent as she explained everything, and the blonde was completely taken aback by how the students were responding to her. She had their respect, and their attention, two commodities that were hard to come by when it came to teenagers, and somehow that just made Regina all the more attractive. "Can I get a volunteer to pass these out?"

Every student raised their hand, some excitedly waving in an attempt to grab the alluring teacher's attention. But it was futile as her dark eyed gaze could only focus on one student in the room, the only student whose hand wasn't raised. The brunette slowly strode down the aisle in which Emma sat, and she gingerly distributed the bundle of papers into the blonde's awaiting hand, their fingers brushing for the briefest of moments.

"Ms. Swan," Regina said, her tongue wrapping around each letter of the title, as if she had never experienced such a delicious feeling in her mouth than she did in that moment, and Emma felt it resonate deeply within her core. "If you would do the honors, I would very much appreciate it."

Jealous eyes fell on every inch of the blonde's skin, as her fellow students looked at her in scorn, as if she had won some sacred prize they had all been begging to covet. But, she paid it no mind, as her entire body was engulfed with a raging heat that protected her from anything aside from the pure bliss that was humming throughout her veins. Standing in a daze, Emma quickly passed each student a copy of the syllabus, feeling Regina's gaze on her the entire time, until she took the last one in her grip and sat back down in her chair.

"I'll give you all a few moments to read over the syllabus before we continue."

Leaning over her desk, Emma held her head in her hands as she quickly looked over the syllabus, hoping the course load wasn't as intense as the teacher had made it seem. It was. Sighing, the blonde scrubbed a hand over her face in worry; she wanted to do well, but the guide for the semester was extensive, and Emma didn't know if she would be able to keep up. She had always excelled in English in the past, when she chose to apply herself, but her previous schools hadn't been like this. They had been simple: come to class, do your best, and you would do well. But at Storybrooke Regional High, or at least in Ms. Mills' class, it seemed that merely applying yourself wouldn't necessarily guarantee you a good grade, and Emma wasn't sure if she was smart enough to compete with her fellow students.

"If you look to your reading guide," Regina started, holding up the master copy in her hand, "you will note that the first piece of prose we will be reading is the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell." Several students grumbled their disappointment, while others made sounds of curiosity. The blonde, on the other hand, nearly squealed in delight. She had read the novel in eleventh grade, and she had remembered it quite well. Perhaps she would do better in this class than expected.

"Due to our current political climate, and the technology that has made up our modern society, I felt that this work would be fitting." Surveying the room for a moment, the brunette's eyes landed on the blonde, and she felt the corners of her mouth twitch with an unreleased smile as she noticed Emma grinning down at her syllabus. "Please raise your hand if you have read this novel before."

Feeling dark eyes burn into her skin, Emma slowly raised her hand, feeling awkward, and uncomfortable as everyone else stayed still. Looking around sheepishly, the blonde concluded that, yes, she was the only person in the class who had read it before. Turning back to the front of the room, she looked at Regina, who seemed incredibly pleased with the outcome. A cold chill ran up the base of her spin, and she couldn't help but to feel like the teacher was intentionally trying to call her out at every turn.

"Ms. Swan," the teacher breathed, a small smile dusting across her dark, red lips, "why don't you share some of your thoughts with the class?"

"Well, I…" Emma's words trailed off soundlessly as she felt her breath grow thick in her lungs, anxiety taking over her body. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to remember how to string a sentence together, but her fear of sounding stupid made her brain short-circuit. Looking to her teacher in a panic, the blonde suddenly felt the smallest amount of relief when warm, brown eyes met her gaze, the brunette's head nodding slowly in reassurance. "Well…it's a dystopian novel that kind of deals with how fear and surveillance can affect our freedom, and individuality. But, it's more of a cautionary tale than anything."

"Very good," Regina smiled, her hands loosely clasped against her lower stomach, "and why do you think that is something we should worry about in our current society?"

Coaxed on by the older woman at the front of the classroom, Emma began to feel more comfortable, as if they were having a private conversation away from everyone else. "It's a book about totalitarianism, fear mongering, and not having privacy, which I think are things we can all see in our society today." Taking a breath, the blonde looked down at her hands, "Trump won because he used our fear to make us believe he was the only person who could protect us. Now he's president and continues to lie and manipulate, sometimes to the point of propaganda."

Clearing her throat awkwardly as she suddenly remembered where she was, and how many people were staring at her, Emma started to clam up. "And then there's social media, which has kind of led to all of us violating our own privacy. I don't know, I'm probably not making any sense…"

"No, I think you're on to something…" Regina offered, unconsciously walking further across the room, and closer to the blonde. "Please, continue."

"Well," the blonde sighed, her voice higher than normal as she tried to reign in her nervousness, "we're all so caught up in sharing our lives, and watching other people's lives, that we ignore the possibility of how that could cause trouble." Closing her eyes for a brief moment, the blonde chewed on her bottom lip trying to gather her thoughts, hoping she was making a semblance of sense. "A lot of us have become desensitized to the idea of privacy, and what that means. So, it's entirely plausible that we could eventually become so numb to it all, that if one day it's no longer a choice, we wouldn't really notice."

Dark eyes gleamed with something Emma couldn't recognize, but it made her heart skip a beat, and she looked away from the brunette, a shy smile lingering on her lips. "Thank you for your thoughts, Ms. Swan," Regina spoke softly, her red lips alighting with a delighted grin as she moved back to the front of the classroom, "it was very enlightening." Feeling her cheeks burn at the words of praise, the blonde relaxed back into her chair, allowing herself to breathe properly for the first time since she had begun speaking.

As the class continued on with the teacher passing out copies of the book, and instructing the students to read the first five chapters before the next class, Emma stared off distractedly, watching Regina move about the room from the corner of her eye. She had never had the courage to participate in class discussions before, and yet there was something about the brunette teacher that beckoned to Emma, making her want to rise to the fullest of her potential. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and her muscles were aching, and tense, but the blonde couldn't stop the smile that continued to press against her lips; hoping, somehow, she had impressed Regina.

The sudden, loud ringing of the bell to signal the end of first period made Emma jump as she was violently thrown from her reverie.

"Please don't forget about tonight's reading," the teacher called out, as students began lifting from their seats and racing out the door, "I expect all of you to have those five chapters completed by tomorrow."

Hearing quiet groans as the students fled the classroom, Regina slowly turned back to the blonde, who was still sitting, her cheeks flushed and her eyes unfocused. Dark eyes shone as she took the last few steps towards Emma's desk. Waiting a moment, until the last straggling student had left, the brunette leaned forward, her hands gently gripping the edge of the cool surface.

"Ms. Swan?" Blinking several times, Emma looked up at her teacher, her brow furrowed in question. "Can you come and speak to me after your last class?"

Gaping for a moment, the blonde shifted in her seat as she gathered her bag in her arms. "Uh, yeah—of course." The combination of her nerves, and the closeness of the brunette made Emma stumble over her words, and she cursed herself out in her mind for being a total embarrassment. But, luckily, Regina didn't seem to notice, and she simply smiled that luminous smile of her's, tugging the blonde's breath from her lungs as her lips curled.

"Good," the teacher nodded, pushing herself back into a standing position, "I look forward to it. Have a good day, Ms. Swan."

Packing the rest of her belongings away, Emma slung her bag over her shoulder and left the classroom, pausing at the door for only a moment to take one last, lingering look at Regina. She was leaning over her desk, organizing for her next class, and the blonde couldn't help but to let her green eyes caress every inch of the woman's face. She was beautiful, and magnetic, and powerful, and god, Emma couldn't stop the frenzy of lust that invaded her system in that moment. All she wanted was to walk across the room and take the brunette in her arms, and touch her, and taste her, and—those dark eyes were suddenly drawn to her again, and Emma felt her heart stop. Regina openly stared at the blonde, her dark eyes like fire, her tongue brushing across her bottom lip, and Emma felt an unbearable heat burn between her thighs before she hurried down the hallway.

The rest of the morning had felt like something akin to an out of body experience to Emma, as she drifted from Ms. Mills' class to biology, and then to math. Everything aside from English seemed like a blurry daydream by the time lunch rolled around, and Emma decided to forgo food in order to look over the class outlines that she hadn't been paying attention to.

Getting lost a couple of times on her journey, and feeling like a complete idiot in such a small school, the blonde eventually found the library, and hid away at a table in the back. The room was chilled, and quiet, and Emma sank into the comfortable chair as she poured over her work. She was thankful for a few moments of concentration, but she knew that the constant distractions would soon swell back into her mind. Her anxiety had ebbed, but her thoughts of Regina had flowed, and it made for a rather uncomfortable number of classes. Just the thought of her distractions made Emma's face blush a dark shade of pink as she organized a list of her homework.

The sudden vision of a dark red mouth kissing its way down her jaw and onto her neck made Emma's hand stop writing mid-sentence, her fingers quivering as she bit down on her lip. Fantasies and daydreams were something that had helped her survive her childhood, and it had always been something she had been grateful for, but now, as an adult, her imagination had become her worst nightmare. She had so many things she needed to finish before her afternoon classes started, and yet Emma couldn't, for the life of her, focus for a solid hour on something other than Regina's hands on her skin, or her breath in her ear. "Fuck," the blonde whispered to herself, her pen digging deeply into her notebook until it left a hole.

Eventually, though accompanied by the odd stilted breath, or lingering pause, Emma had finished most of what she had hoped to accomplish. Although she hadn't completed everything, the blonde was pleased with what she had compiled by the time the bell, announcing the end of lunch, rang throughout the school. She had pushed through all of her sordid imaginings and Emma felt proud of herself as she headed to her next class, hoping the afternoon round of classes would be commanding enough of her attention to keep her thoughts on her studies and away from a certain brunette teacher.

Yet, as the hours went on, and the thoughts continued to come, the blonde found herself frustrated, and tightly wound by the time her last class had begun. Choosing to sit in the very back of the classroom due to her current state, Emma let out an uncomfortable sigh as she unpacked her notebook and pen, knowing full well that taking notes wasn't going to be an option. After getting through the first half of the class, Emma's face was already flushed, and her legs were clenched together tightly. But the pulse that echoed between her thighs only grew from the pressure. Everything she tried to do to quell her thoughts, and regain control of her mind was ignored, and instead she sat at her desk, watching the clock with hooded eyes, as her teacher's voice turned into garbled, foreign sounds within her ears.

By the time the final bell of the day graced the blonde's awaiting ears, her system felt like it was crashing, and she quickly grabbed her things, bolting out of the classroom. The cool air that flowed throughout the hallway was a blessing as she ran out into the atrium, her legs weak, and wobbly from the hours of tension they had endured. Absently passing by the stairwell that led to the English wing, Emma paused, her lips parting in a silent sigh. She had been so distracted by her carnal thoughts of the woman that she had nearly forgot that she had to speak with her. "Oh for fuck sakes," Emma said aloud, her body hot, sweaty, and begging for some kind of release.

The thought of having to stand face to face with Regina once more made the blonde's entire body want to scream in frustrated ecstasy. Part of her wanted to make up an excuse, but the other part of her wanted so desperately to be near the teacher again. "Fuck," Emma whimpered to herself, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder as she pulled open the door to the staircase. Taking her time as she climbed up to the second floor, the blonde gripped her bag against her hip. Dull nails dug into the canvas material roughly, in the hopes of ridding the unresolved tension that stemmed throughout her body at the thoughts of her teacher.

Dawdling, as she opened the large, red door that led to the English wing, Emma found herself distractedly hurrying her steps as she neared the brunette's classroom. Stopping herself in the middle of the hallway, the blonde got a grip on her speed as she took a shaking breath. She needed to be composed when she faced Regina again, and sprinting to their meeting was clearly desperate, and would only prove to exacerbate her current condition.

Shaking her head as she neared the classroom, the blonde slowly stepped over the threshold, falling still as she watched Regina quietly for a moment. The woman was seated at her desk, her long, tan legs crossed neatly as she flipped through a stack of papers in her lap. Her dark eyes were focused on her movements, as if looking for something in particular. The concentration that alighted the brunette's face was endearing, and Emma felt herself grow breathless as she continued to watch, nearly losing balance as Regina sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Gripping onto the door for stability, the blonde rolled her eyes as it made the softest of sounds, and just as quickly as the noise invaded the room black eyes were boring into Emma's.

"Ms. Swan," the brunette smirked, moving the papers in her lap off to the side, "please, take a seat."

The sweat that beaded across her body was making her tank top stick to her skin, and her jeans were feeling unbearable tight, the ripped fabric digging into her thighs. Clenching her jaw, Emma shoved her twitching fingers into her pockets and shifted from foot to foot. She was already a mess, and the idea of being any closer to the older woman made Emma want to explode.

"Thanks, but I think I'm good here."

The teacher quirked an eyebrow in question, but said nothing as she swiveled her chair around to face the blonde. Emma sucked in a quiet breath as she took a moment to run her gaze along the smooth, exposed legs that were crossed at the knee, for a second time.

"Am I in some kind of trouble?" She asked distractedly, her voice cracking from the dryness of her throat, and the tension that was grasping a hold of her body.

A flicker of caution washed over the teacher's face for a brief moment, before brown eyes trailed up Emma's body, stopping once their eyes met. Bristling at the sensations Regina was rapidly causing in the pit of her stomach, the blonde clutched the handle of the door in her palm, pulling it open a fraction further for her own self-control.

"I suppose that all depends on how you define the word _trouble_ , dear." Her voice was lower than it had been during class, holding a similar tone to the one she had used during their meeting at Granny's. Shivers ran down Emma's spine as the tantalizing sound caressed her ears, and dark, fiery eyes seemed to devour her whole, even from across the room. "But in the traditional sense—no, Ms. Swan, you aren't in any trouble. Quite the contrary."

Squaring her shoulders as she pressed them against the cool, metal of the door, Emma let out a sigh, a combination of relief, and trepidation flooding through her extremities.

"Then why am I here?" The question was asked breathlessly, and the blonde grimaced as she realized Regina had caught her tone, dark eyes widening as the teacher stood promptly from her desk.

Biting down on the inside of her lip as the dark, red material of Regina's dress clung to the swell of her hips, shortening the dress considerably. Watching with hooded eyes as the brunette slowly smoothed out the fabric, Emma pushed harder against the door, willing the chill to still the excruciating heat that was crashing against her in waves.

"I wanted to thank you, for your participation in class today." Looking over at the blonde, the teacher took pause. Distracted for the briefest of moments by the way Emma's heated skin glistened with perspiration in the low lighting of the room, the sight making the brunette's chest rise and fall just a bit more quickly than usual. "It isn't often I am graced with a student with such _passion_." Breathing deeply through her nose, Regina took a few tentative steps forward, stopping in the middle of the classroom. "Although, I wish our conversation would have lasted longer…"

Licking her lips and tasting salt, Emma's gaze met dark eyes, and she tried in earnest to compose herself enough to seem a little less flustered. "I wish it would have, too." She said quietly, her heart pounding in her chest as she noted Regina taking a few more, liberal steps towards her.

"You intrigue me, Ms. Swan," the brunette started, her voice low, and sultry as she stood before Emma, only an arm's length away. "…which is something that doesn't happen very often."

The breath of a smirk fluttered across Emma's lips as she arched her back against the door, stretching the taut muscles in her back. "And you intrigue me, so I guess we're even."

A devilish smile curled against red lips, as Regina took another step forward, her straight, white teeth pulling her bottom lip into her mouth suggestively. The action made the blonde's hand clench, the doorknob squeaking beneath her vice-like grip.

"Are you flirting with me, Ms. Swan?" The teacher whispered, her breath laboured as she felt the tip of her stilettos brush against Emma's scuffed combat boots.

Green eyes darkened as Emma's free hand itched to reach forward and pull the brunette against her. "I guess that depends," she breathed, leaning in towards Regina the slightest bit, "are you enjoying it?"

Black eyes gleamed with delight at the student's words, a silent groan falling from full, dark lips in the form of a heavy breath. Leaning in, the brunette's body brushed against Emma's, as she slowly pushed the door shut, giving them a modicum of privacy.

"I think," the teacher started, her words breathless and quiet as their bodies remained pressed against one another, "that I'm enjoying all of this far too much."

Wetness pooled between the blonde's trembling legs as she felt Regina's body against her in the most delicious type of pressure. Their mouths were mere inches apart, and every sight, taste, and smell, Emma sensed were all coming from the older woman's body. Letting her free hand come to rest against the slope of Regina's waist, the blonde pulled her closer. Dark eyes fluttered as a gasp fell from Regina's lips, and Emma caught it in her mouth as she started to lean closer, until she could almost taste the imminent kiss.

"We can't," the brunette hissed suddenly, her hands braced against the blonde's chest holding her back lightly.

"I know," Emma panted, her nails digging into the red material of her teacher's dress in annoyed frustration, "but I've been thinking about this all day."

Letting her fingers ghost across the pale, exposed flesh that laid beneath her palms, the brunette took a step back, regrettably allowing her hands to fall back to her sides. "I shouldn't have asked you here," Regina seethed, bitter with herself, her jaw tightening as she tried desperately to reel in her arousal. "It was a mistake."

The blonde felt a sharp sting at the words, but tried to ease it aside as she noted the frustration pressed against Regina's brow. "It wasn't a mistake—you didn't do anything wrong."

Angry, black eyes bored into Emma's before she turned on her heel and paced back to her desk. Sitting down, the teacher distracted herself with the papers that were strewn atop, organizing them with shaking hands. "I did everything wrong," Regina said softly, her hands gripping a stack of papers in her hands, the edges crinkling around her fingers. "You're free to go now, Ms. Swan."

Blinking slowly as the entire atmosphere of the room shifted, Emma looked over to her teacher, a pained expression creasing her delicate features. Had she imagined the entire conversation? "Okay…" the blonde mumbled, standing awkwardly against the door for a moment. Adjusting the strap of her bag against her shoulder, Emma watched the dark woman curiously, noting the flush that remained on her prominent cheeks, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Sighing, Emma twisted the doorknob, and opened the door, her entire system knotted in confusion about the whole ordeal.

By the time she had rounded the door, and faced the hallway, the blonde felt humiliation, and rejection quickly turn to anger and she slammed the door hard behind her, not caring what her teacher might think. The blonde understood that what they were doing was technically frowned upon, and she knew that the dark woman was probably dealing with guilt, among other things. But, that didn't change the fact that it left Emma feeling dirty, and used. Though, as the blonde chewed roughly on the inside of her cheek, she couldn't deny how the altercation had made her feel, and she shivered with the thought, a dull throb echoing between her legs.

Exiting the English wing, Emma stalked into the women's washroom and hid herself away in the farthest stall from the entrance. Leaning against the cool, metal door as she clicked the lock in place, the blonde tried to steady her breathing, failing as her breaths came faster at the thoughts that tore through her mind. She felt as if she were going crazy, as she found herself quickly unfastening her pants, and sliding her hand within the tight confines. The current disgust she felt in regards to herself was only overpowered by the hunger that roared within the pit of her stomach as her hand fell between her thighs. Covering her mouth with her free hand, Emma slowly began running her fingers through her slick folds, gasping at the amount of wetness that resided there. She had never been so turned on in her life, it left a bitter taste in her mouth, and yet that didn't stop her from continuing.

Squeezing her eyes shut as the tip of her finger began circling her swollen clit, the blonde bit down on her hand hard, muffling the moans that were freely falling from her quivering lips. Quickening her pace, Emma felt her body begin to shake with the pre-shocks of her orgasm, and she spread her legs further apart as she rubbed herself faster, and harder. Quiet noises were escaping from the space between her teeth, and the skin she was biting, but she couldn't stop herself. It was if her body was no longer her own as her hips bucked wildly against her hand. Her teacher's face flashed behind Emma's closed eyes as she entered herself, and the very thought made her cry out the brunette's name as she came violently in the empty bathroom.

* * *

 **A/N: So, I've had this chapter completed for a few days, but I'm really trying to stay ahead of the game so I can update as regularly as possible (right now I'm hoping to be able to upload new chapters every 4 - 5 days!) Right now I'm halfway done chapter three, and already have chapter four and five outlined! But, anyway, I wasn't sure if I pushed ahead too quickly on this chapter, but I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out! I hope you all enjoy the update, and please leave a comment/review and let me know your thoughts!**


	3. Sink Or Swim

**Chapter Three:** _Sink or Swim_

* * *

Heavy, gray clouds hung in the sky, cloaking the early morning sunlight, and making the small, sleepy town appear clutched in an ominous darkness. Green eyes peered out of the foggy window at Granny's distractedly as her cold fingers gripped her warm coffee mug. The unusual chill in the air had roused Emma from her sleep obnoxiously early, and by seven o'clock she had already gotten herself dressed and ready for her day of classes. Although she was thankful for the extra time she had been allotted, the blonde felt the protests of her tired, and weary body as it begged for sleep. The first week of classes had been a whirlwind of reacquainting herself with an academic setting, readjusting her sleep schedule, and having all of her responsibilities change. Though, she had begun to feel more comfortable with her new life as the days progressed, the amount of change was still taking a toll on her physically.

Taking a sip from her scalding beverage, the blonde hummed contentedly as she looked back down to the novel laid open in front of her, quickly reading through the last couple of pages. As the moments fluttered by, Emma's gaze trained on the last page, she felt her focus begin to evade her. Sighing, she flipped the book closed and ran her fingers along the cover, tracing along the title: Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was Friday, and she had already re-read through the entire book, save for the last page, and it made a warm, sense of comfort flood through her body knowing she was ahead of the rest of the class.

A smile creased against her lips then, as she thought of her English class, and how it had become a sort of safe haven for her among a schedule of classes she felt unsure of. Emma had never been a gifted student, and had generally always made solid C grades, but there had always been something about English, and Language Arts that made the blonde feel like she had at least a modicum of intelligence. The advanced placement class she was in then, however, had made Emma even more drawn to words, and literature. Perhaps it was because she was getting a fresh start in a place where no one knew anything about her, which gave her a freedom to excel without the heavy burden of prior expectations. But, as she took another drink from her coffee, the blonde knew, truly, that it was because of the tough, yet encouraging teacher she had been lucky enough to have.

At the thought of the beautiful brunette teacher, Emma felt her stomach fall, a wave of emotion pounding through her chest. Pushing her drink aside with distaste, the blonde held her head in her hands and let her gaze become blurred and hazy as she was lost in thought. Ever since the moment they had shared in the teacher's classroom Monday afternoon, Emma had been purposefully avoiding the older woman. Declining Regina's requests of conversation, failing to participate in class discussions, and even maneuvering her way around town in order not to accidentally bump into the brunette outside of school hours. Her humiliation, and most of all her guilt, over what had transpired had gotten the better of her, and the blonde had thought it best to just merely ignore Regina, in hopes of forgetting about their mutual attraction completely.

It hadn't worked. Emma still couldn't stop thinking of the teacher, couldn't stop the way her body flushed and warmed at seeing her, and most certainly couldn't stop the inappropriate thoughts that invaded her mind in the dead of night. The blonde wiped a quivering hand over her face before tightening her long, golden ponytail, and distracting herself from her thoughts by packing up her messenger bag. Stuffing her notebook and the novel back into the already overfilled bag, Emma stiffened as she heard the bell above the door to Granny's jingle as someone entered. Keeping her green eyes focused on the floor, the blonde stood from her booth and quickly headed for the door, but her escape was intercepted by a gentle hand on her arm.

"Ms. Swan," came that low, rich voice Emma had been both dreading, and hoping she would hear, "can we speak for a moment?"

Holding her breath, the blonde lifted her gaze from the floor and looked behind her, her breath clumsily releasing at the sight before her. Regina stood behind her, her dark hair falling to her shoulders in smooth, layered flicks, and her body was encased in a tight, black trench coat, that was cinched deliciously at the waist. Turning around to face the woman, she noted a sense of desperation flicker in the dark depths of the brunette's eyes as her fingers applied more pressure to Emma's arm.

"Please?" The last word was hissed quietly, falling from red lips in a stilted tone of urgency.

Swallowing hard, Emma felt as if her throat was closing in on itself, the guilt riddled her body as she looked into brown eyes. The faded light in them seemed familiar, as though they were pleading. "I'm sorry, Ms. Mills," the blonde started hesitantly, feeling her chest tighten as she continued, "I have a lot of stuff I have to finish up in the library before class starts. I really don't have the time to talk right now..."

Once the stumbled lies evaded her mouth, she felt the hand that had been wrapped around her arm release, and Emma instantly missed the touch. Full, red lips pursed and dark eyes flashed in frustration, and the combination made the blonde want to retract her words, but it was too late, and Regina had already turned away without another glance.

Clenching her teeth, Emma flung the door to the diner open and walked outside. The chilly air whipped around her as she headed to her car, her entire body ridged and tense with self-loathing as she opened the driver's side door and fell into the car. Biting down hard on her tongue as she started the vehicle, Emma let out a low growl as she slammed her hands over and over again on the steering wheel. The anger that filled her was conjured by her own actions, she had done this to herself, and yet she hoped, and begged to any kind of higher power that, somehow, someway, Regina didn't hate her as much as she hated herself.

Putting the car in drive, Emma pulled out of her parking space and drove down the road. A wave of nausea rolled through her stomach, and her head pounded behind her eyes as the guilt wreaked havoc throughout her body. Grimacing as she turned onto the street where her school was located, the blonde took a shaking breath and gripped the steering wheel more tightly. Her nerves were spiraling out of control, so much so that by the time she pulled into the parking lot of the high school, Emma felt as though she might vomit.

"Why do I keep doing this to myself?" The blonde whispered quietly as she roughly shifted the vehicle into park, "if I just talk to her maybe things will be okay."

A part of her wished she was right, that perhaps if they were able to sit down and discuss what had happened on Monday, maybe they would be able to work everything out. But, the fear that gripped Emma was still persistent, and she worried that she would only continue to make things worse for her teacher.

The blonde released a heavy breath and slowly began gathering her bag and jacket in her arms. She knew that she would eventually have to give in and talk to the brunette, whether the teacher had asked or not, Emma knew that she wouldn't be able to stay away forever. And yet, that's what the blonde feared the most, being unable to control herself around Regina once again. They had both been at fault for what had happened, but Emma knew that she had pushed it to another level, and then preceded to act like a petulant child when things, expectedly, didn't go the way she had wished. She needed to apologize, she needed to make things right, and so the blonde pulled on her leather jacket, and placed her messenger bag across her shoulder before hurrying out of her car and towards the school.

"Fuck it," Emma thought silently to herself as she entered through the doors and into the atrium, "I'm not playing this game anymore, I need to see her."

Walking with purpose, the blonde strode to the stairwell that led to the English wing and pushed open the doors, racing up the steps. After several moments, Emma found herself standing outside of her English classroom, pacing nervously in front of the locked door. She knew she wouldn't have to wait long, as Regina was always at the school, and in her classroom by quarter to eight, and it was already twenty minutes to, but the minutes seemed to pass by entirely too long and it was making Emma begin to fidget.

Pulling out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, the blonde clicked the screen on and checked the time. Worrying her bottom lip, Emma leaned back against the door and wrapped her arms around her waist, as if she were hugging herself. What if Regina decided not to show up? What if she went to the teachers' lounge before class instead? She should have just accepted the woman's offer earlier at the diner. Anxiety grabbed a hold of the blonde as she dug her fingers into her ribs, feeling her breath quicken in her chest, her heart pounding violently.

Just as she felt a full blown panic attack begin to rear its fiendish head, Emma heard the distinct creaking sound of the door to the English wing pushing open, and she peered down the hallway, her chest tightening as she watched Regina slowly walking towards the classroom. With her body still flooded in panic, the blonde clenched and unclenched her fingers as she lingered at the door, her green eyes focused on the brunette's nearing form. Regina was distractedly flipping through the contents of her purse as she took patient, pointed steps, the sound of her high heels clacking against the tiles reverberated throughout the empty area. But the noise halted, when the brunette lifted her gaze and noticed Emma standing—waiting—by the door of her classroom. Stopping in the middle of the hallway, dark eyes boring into the blonde with molten heat, as Regina clenched her hands into fists before pushing forward.

"Ms. Swan?" The dark woman questioned, a tight, forced smile pressing against her full lips, feigning civility on the off chance someone else was in the area.

"Hi…" Emma said shyly, her hands burying into the pockets of her jeans as she hovered next to the door, stepping out of the teacher's way.

Ignoring the light tone of Emma's voice, Regina reached into her purse and pulled out a small ring of keys and unlocked the door of her classroom in one graceful flourish of movement. Reaching for the handle, the teacher paused, and looked to the blonde, her dark eyes narrowing, and her lips curling with the slightest hint of irritation, "and what can I do for you, _dear_?"

Feeling a combination of arousal, dread, and anxiety flutter within the pit of her stomach at the tone of voice the other woman was using, Emma stepped closer to Regina, their bodies brushing lightly. "I was hoping we could talk…?" The expression that fell against the brunette's face at her question made the blonde take a hesitant step forward. Pure, unadulterated anger coated Regina's face, and it made Emma want to run, yet it also made her want to push the brunette against the wall and take her right there in the hallway.

"Well," the brunette breathed between clenched teeth as she wrenched open the door and stepped inside, motioning for Emma to follow behind her, "then by all means, _come in_."

The teacher's full lips were dripping with rage, and the blonde shuddered as she stepped over the threshold, entering the room. Once she was standing within the classroom, Regina's hand was grasping the material of her tank top and pushing her against the door, slamming it closed with the pressure.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The brunette sneered, her fingernails lightly grazing against the skin of Emma's chest, "I've been asking to speak with you all week, and you've declined, and now, after just lying to me, you decide you have the time?" Loosening her hold on the student, Regina let her hand run down to the space between Emma's breasts, feeling her heart beat frantically beneath her palm before pulling away. "I don't think so, Ms. Swan."

Still feeling the heat against her chest, Emma watched as the teacher crossed the room and began unbuttoning her coat. Peering at the woman with rapt attention, the blonde felt her knees buckle as the material of the trench coat was pulled away from Regina's body, revealing a blood red blouse tucked into tight, black slacks. Several buttons were unclasped on the shirt, and the brunette's display of ample cleavage, coupled with her chest heaving with anger, made the blonde's blood run hot with need. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Emma peeled her eyes away from the teacher's tantalizing body, reprimanding herself for ogling. This wasn't the time, nor the place to be doing such things.

Sighing, the blonde took a step forward, watching Regina sit down at her desk, ignoring her presence completely. "I'm sorry…" Emma whispered, pulling herself away from the door, her pulse quickening as fiery, dark eyes found her's. "I was an asshole, and I avoided the problem because I thought it would just go away. It was stupid, I know that, but…" tapering off for a moment, Emma licked her lips as she continued to step further, and further into the room. "But I was scared, and felt guilty, and I didn't want to acknowledge that I did something wrong."

Silence descended upon the room then, the two women eyeing each other with drastically different expressions: anger and deflation. The tension was growing thick, and Emma felt the uncomfortable weight of it against her shoulders as she looked away from Regina, distracting herself with the large clock that rested above the chalkboard. Noticing the seconds tick by, the blonde's gaze inevitably fell back onto her teacher as she began to speak, her voice quieter now, but still held an unwavering strength.

"Do you have any idea how terrified I was?" Regina asked, her hands splayed across the surface of her desk as she breathed deeply, "do you understand how much power you held over me after Monday afternoon?"

"I…" the blonde fumbled for words, wanting to convey her sincerity, and understanding, but floundered within herself, "…no."

"Of course you don't," the brunette chuckled, closing her eyes as she shifted in her chair. "I know what you wanted—I know what _I_ wanted—but because I didn't give in…" she paused, taking a quivering breath as she looked into wide, green eyes, "because I didn't give you what you wanted, how was I to know you wouldn't have used that against me?"

The reality hit Emma with great force, and she felt the breath stolen from her lungs as her stomach flipped with discomfort: she was a piece of shit. She remembered the way she had slammed the door when she left on Monday, the way she had evaded and ignored the pleading teacher at every turn for the rest of the week, and it made the blonde feel ill. Of course Regina would have assumed the worst, and Emma couldn't possibly make up for the fear she had caused the older woman. She had been angry, and she had been selfish, and Emma hated herself a little bit more when she remembered the desperation in Regina's dark eyes earlier at the diner. The blonde felt something inside her ache then, and she found herself walking towards her teacher, taking cautious, slow steps until she was standing before Regina's desk.

"I'm sorry…" Emma whispered, for the second time, feeling helpless to the way she had made the older woman feel. "I didn't mean to—"

"I know, Ms. Swan." The brunette cut in, waving her hand to silence the girl, her eyes softening as she took a breath. "I'm sorry, too. Which, is why I've been wanting to talk to you." Sighing quietly, Regina stood from her desk, her hands bracing herself as she leaned forward towards her student. "I wanted to apologize for what transpired between us, and for upsetting you."

"I wasn't upset." The blonde lied, but as Regina cocked her head to the side, wordlessly calling her out, Emma scrambled to correct herself. "Okay, I was upset, but not with you—I was humiliated. I lost total control, and I felt like an asshole."

"You weren't the only one who lost control, Ms. Swan." The teacher whispered, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth and between her teeth, her body nearly shivering at the memory of it. "But, because I am in a position of power over you, it was my duty to keep such things at bay, and to keep a level of appropriateness during our interactions. I crossed that line, and I apologize."

"I wanted it, Regina." The blonde blurted out, her breath catching in her throat as her green eyes stared, unwavering at Regina, the irises darkening with a look of hunger. "I wanted _you_ , and nothing you would, or wouldn't have done would have changed that, so stop blaming yourself."

"Emma…"

The sound of the first bell startled both women as it rumbled through the school, but their gazes never left one another. Regina's neck was flushed, Emma's breathing had become laboured, and although they both knew that they needed to cease their conversation before other students began bustling into the classroom, neither could. Their bodies were being drawn towards one another, and they met at the side of Regina's desk, Emma's fingers itching to touch the older woman.

"We aren't done here," the blonde whispered, her voice thick, and needy. "I wasn't finished."

Full lips parted, as if about to speak, torn between protesting, and conceding, but the sound of the doorknob twisting open made the words die on her tongue. Stepping away from the student, Regina sat back down at her desk, watching with hooded eyes as Emma turned away and headed towards her own seat. Other students began filtering into the classroom, and the brunette tried to make herself look busy, but her dark eyes were focused on the blonde, who was now sitting in her desk, her green eyes burning into Regina's flesh. Taking a silent, shuddering breath, the teacher realized that she was playing a dangerous game. The entire reason she wanted to speak to Emma was to make sure they were both fully aware that what had happened on Monday could never happen again. Yet, when the moment finally arose, Regina couldn't go through with it. She didn't seem to have any control of her mind, or body, when the younger woman was around, and although it irritated her to no end, it also invigorated her. She was drowning in her own desire, and Regina wasn't sure if she wanted to sink or swim.

Pulling her dark gaze from Emma, the teacher looked to her desk and compiled the corrected quizzes into a neat stack. Searching through them absently, Regina pulled out the one she had been looking for, and quickly wrote something neatly beneath the letter grade that had already been written. Setting her pen aside, the teacher gathered the papers into her arms, and stood from her desk, making her way to the middle of the classroom.

Waiting expectantly for the final bell to sound, Regina found her gaze falling back to Emma, who was still staring at her with unbridled arousal. Ignoring the heat that flowed within her lower abdomen at the searing green eyes racking up and down her body, a small smile stretched across Regina's lips as the last bell rang.

"Good morning," the teacher greeted, her rich voice grasping every students' attention instantly, "before I take attendance, I just wanted to inform all of you, that I have graded your quizzes from Wednesday." A collection of groans wafted through the room, and Regina couldn't help the smirk that curled against the edges of her lips. "I will be passing them out in a moment, and then we can go over them as a class."

Shifting in her seat, Emma watched the brunette cross the room and began calling attendance. The names seemed to roll off Regina's tongue as she sped through the list, until she came to the blonde's name. Emma squirmed in her seat as dark eyes looked at her pointedly, the brunette's voice lowering the breath of an octave as she called out the blonde's name. Raising her hand in a daze, Emma bit down on her bottom lip before lowering her hand once more. Shivers were racing through her body and she couldn't control the pull she felt towards Regina. She still felt the remnants of guilt wallowing through her mind, and she did fear for the brunette's sanity, but goddamn it, Emma wanted her badly, and she knew that Regina wanted her just as much.

"Before I pass back your quizzes," the brunette called, stepping back into the front of the room, "I would just like to say that, overall, I am pleased with the work you've all been putting into this course." Taking a breath, Regina paced for a moment before she stopped, making sure all eyes were on her's, especially Emma's. "Keep up the good work."

As the teacher began weaving through rows, and passing out the corrected quizzes to their respective owner's, the blonde held her breath. Although she was mildly nervous about the grade she made on her quiz, Emma was more anxious about the moment when Regina would get to her desk. The thought of the older woman being that close, with the blonde feeling so very turned on, made Emma worry about the grip she had on her self-control. The last thing either of them needed was some insane display of their mutual attraction in the middle of class with everyone watching.

Reeling herself in, Emma gripped the legs of her desk with clenched fists, and bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as she saw the brunette getting closer. Seeing the woman stop in front of her desk, Emma's entire body tensed and she held onto the metal between her hands for dear life. A heated expression of amusement ghosted across Regina's face as she noted the restraint riddling the blonde's firm body. Watching the teacher lick her lips slowly, and with purpose, Emma forced herself still, until Regina finally set the bundle of papers in front of her. Green eyes met black, and a mutual shudder echoed throughout both of their bodies as Regina turned and walked away.

Taking a moment to watch the sway of the teacher's full hips as she sauntered back towards her desk, Emma finally took a breath and looked down to the graded quiz in front of her. A beaming smile broke out across her mouth at the large, red A+ at the top of the first sheet. But her smile quickly faltered for a moment as her gaze lowered to a comment scrawled in elegant handwriting: _I wasn't finished either, Ms. Swan. I think it's best if we do something about that_. The suggestive words were followed by a sequence of numbers, which Emma assumed was Regina's cellphone number. Sucking in a breath, the blonde gripped the papers within her hands, blinking several times to make sure that she hadn't been imagining the note.

Looking up, and across the room as heat filled between her legs, Emma saw that Regina was already staring at her, her dark eyes smoldering as her teeth grazed across her full, bottom lip teasingly. A single dark, sculpted brow lifted in a soundless question as her eyes gleamed. The blonde forced herself to breath as she pressed her thighs together, and nodded her head quickly, gaining a quick flash of a salacious smile from her teacher. The two stared at each other for an infinite moment, both knowing that they had reached a point of no return, and both feeling as though they were drowning in the cataclysmic waves of their attraction for one another. But, as Emma ran the tips of her fingers against the note Regina had written her, she knew that if it were a matter of sinking or swimming when it came to one another, they had both chosen to sink in that moment.

* * *

 **A/N: So, because I'm shameless, I decided to post this chapter a little bit earlier than expected. I finished it up yesterday, so at least I was able to hold off a little bit. But, clearly things are starting to heat up between our two favourite ladies, and I truly hope you enjoy this chapter. Although I've read through it numerous times, and have put in everything I've wanted to, I'm still a little unsure of it. But regardless, thank you for taking the time to read this story of mine, and I hope you all enjoy it. Also, please don't forget to let me know your thoughts with comments/reviews!**


	4. Teasing To Please

**Chapter Four:** Teasing To Please

* * *

 **Note: _These are texts from Emma_** | _These are texts from Regina_

* * *

By the time the final bell of the day sounded, Emma's body was in complete shambles; her stomach was in trembling knots, and her nerve-endings were burning. She had made it through the remainder of her classes, and was surprisingly able to focus and complete the work, but half her mind had been on the brunette teacher and the note she had left on her quiz. The blonde was excited, and nervous, and the combination was almost lethal on her strained body

Clenching her teeth as she fled her history class, Emma ran through the school until she reached the English wing, but was met with disappointment as she neared Regina's classroom. The door was locked and the lights were out. Curious, the blonde thought, as she milled about the area, leaning against the lockers to rummage through her messenger bag. Collecting the crumbled sheet of paper from her bag, Emma eyed the number before tapping it into her phone and sending off a text:

 ** _Where are you? I thought we weren't finished?_**

After several seconds of waiting, Emma rolled her eyes and shoved her phone into her pocket. Taking slow, counted steps as she looked around, scanning the area, the blonde left the English wing and started down the stairs when she felt her phone go off. Pausing, Emma hurriedly shuffled the phone from her pocket and read the message:

 _I'm in a meeting. We will discuss what we need to in due time._

 ** _When can I see you?_**

 _My, you're awfully impatient this afternoon._

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, the blonde found herself smiling as she continued to walk through the atrium and out of the school. The rain had finally started up and it was pouring, the wind was whipping around the courtyard violently. Tucking her phone against her chest to keep the water away from it, Emma hurried to her car, feeling it vibrate against her several times before she was able to respond.

 _I should be available later this evening, if you're interested._

 _Around 8 o'clock._

 _Does that work for you?_

 _Emma?_

Chuckling at the amount of text messages she found once she was away from the brutal weather, Emma felt her chest puff with confidence. Her teacher wanted to speak to her, she wanted to see her, and it made the blonde's entire body shiver, and not because of the chill in the air. Taking a breath, Emma hurriedly typed out a response before she started up her car.

 ** _Now who's being impatient?_**

 ** _But, yeah, 8 sounds good._**

 ** _Where?_**

Letting her car heat up as she waited for Regina's next messages, Emma emptied out her messenger bag, and neatly laid her school books on the passenger seat. Rummaging around in the back for her work out gear, and toiletries, Emma sighed as her searching hands found what she was looking for. Grabbing her things, the blonde shoved them into her bag haphazardly. She figured she may as well waste her time at the gym while waiting for the brunette to become available; at the very least she could have a hot shower, and a warm, open area to get ready.

Whenever she found herself in a new area one of the first things, Emma would always do was go to the local gym and make sure she had enough money to buy herself a monthly membership. Not only was exercise a positive release for the troubled girl, but it also offered several free amenities that were incredibly useful when living in your car. It wasn't an ideal situation, and Emma hoped it wouldn't be permanent, but until she was able to find a job in the small town, it was really the blonde's only option.

Sighing, Emma shook away the thoughts as she heard her phone buzzing. Pausing, as she noticed her teacher had responded, the blonde felt an uncomfortable thought cross her mind: what would Regina think? Would she be appalled or disgusted by the fact that she didn't have a home? Or worse, would she pity her? Forcing the thoughts away, Emma grabbed her phone and quickly read through the newest message:

 _I was thinking we could talk at my house, if you would be comfortable with that?_

 ** _I'm definitely comfortable with that._**

 _Great. 108 Mifflin St. I expect to see you at 8 o'clock sharp._

 ** _Yes, ma'am!_**

After sending off the last text, Emma buckled her seatbelt and pulled out of the school parking lot. Driving towards Granny's, the blonde figured she would grab something quick to eat before she made her way to the gym, she was rather famished, and she honestly couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. As if her stomach heard her thoughts it rumbled loudly, and Emma rolled her green eyes as she pulled up in front of the diner.

Bracing herself for the worst, the blonde quickly jumped out of her car and ran into Granny's, shaking off the chill as she passed through the door. Several people were inside eating, and talking, and Emma nearly groaned out loud as she noticed all of the booths were taken. Sighing, the blonde walked over to the counter and sat on one of the available stools, waiting for Ruby to come and take her order.

"You're Emma, right?" A soft, friendly voice asked from beside Emma

Turning towards the sound, the blonde's gaze fell on a small girl with short black hair, and wide green eyes. "Yeah," Emma nodded, trying her best to smile politely through her annoyance. "I think I've seen you around school before."

"I'm Mary Margaret," the brunette offered in introduction, moving over a spot to sit closer to Emma, her brilliant smile becoming just the tiniest bit contagious "we have AP English together."

"Oh yeah," the blonde chimed in, not actually remembering the girl, "that's where I've seen you before."

After a couple moments of silence passed between them, Emma turned back towards the counter, relieved that the awkward encounter had come to a close. It wasn't that the blonde didn't like interacting with people, it was just that new people always seemed to make her anxious. As if they were looking for something she wasn't willing to give. Emma didn't like getting to know people, or for people to get to know her, it always seemed to make moving on harder, which was always inevitable for the blonde. And yet, there she was, waiting for the time to pass so that she could spend time with Regina. The sheer hypocrisy almost made Emma laugh out loud, but she knew that there was something different about the teacher. They seemed to have had an immediate connection. Even if it was purely sexual, it was something, and the blonde couldn't seem to help herself.

"So, what do you think?" Came that voice again, and Emma stiffened as she shifted away from her thoughts.

"What do I think about what?" She asked, her tone holding the slightest note of agitation.

"About class?" Mary Margaret chuckled, taking a sip from her milkshake as she toyed with the striped straw. "Are you liking it?"

"Hey, Emma," Ruby suddenly greeted from across the room, and Emma wanted to hug her for the unplanned interruption. "What can I get'cha?"

"Two grilled cheese to go, please."

Writing down the blonde's order, Ruby passed it off to the kitchen and gave the girl a wink before she walked away towards other waiting customers. Breathing deeply with remorse as she watched her go, Emma resettled into her seat, but found herself fidgeting under Mary Margaret's waiting gaze. Chancing a look at the brunette, the blonde let out a sigh as she leaned against the counter.

"It's good, I guess," Emma mumbled, shrugging her shoulders, "I think I'm doing pretty well."

"Regina's a tough one," Mary Margaret nodded, brushing errant black hairs from her eyes, "but I'm sure you know that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde questioned, her defenses visibly lifting as her brow furrowed. _Shit_. Emma thought, she was being way too obvious and she mentally kicked herself as she watched the girl's eyes widen curiously.

"Well," the brunette started awkwardly, her body ridged as she pushed her drink aside, "she just puts a lot of pressure on you in class, that's all. It must be difficult."

Closing her eyes with relief, Emma found herself chuckling as she nodded. If only Mary Margaret knew exactly what kind of pressure Regina was putting on her, she might stop being so nosy. Shaking her head to clear away the inappropriate thoughts, the blonde watched Ruby drop off her order before rushing off again. Grabbing her sandwiches and tucking them away in her jacket, Emma stood from the stool and started to back away from the counter.

"I don't mind it," the blonde smiled, genuinely that time, "but I have to get going. I'll catch you around Mary Margaret."

The brunette opened her mouth to say something, but Emma had already turned to leave. Rushing outside and back to her car, the blonde finally let herself fully breathe for the first time since she entered the diner. The girl had seemed nice, and friendly, but she was awfully curious. Emma didn't like curious people nosing around in her business, but the thought was cut short as she took a bite from her grilled cheese.

A frown creased against her mouth as she swallowed the delicious morsel. Mary Margaret wasn't trying to be imposing, she was just trying to get to know her, and possibly make a friend, and the thought made Emma's heart ache. She never really got the chance to have friends while growing up; between moving constantly, and keeping herself guarded, friendship wasn't something that ever seemed feasible to the blonde. Sighing in exasperation as she took the last bite of her sandwich, Emma decided that maybe, now that she was in a position to make her own decisions, perhaps the idea of actually getting to know people, and care about them, wouldn't be such an awful thing.

Mulling the idea around in her head for a few, brief moments, Emma wrapped up her other sandwich, shoved it in her glove box and pulled onto the street. Within minutes she had arrived at the gym, and she parked as close as she could to the door to avoid the torrent of rain. Grabbing her bag, and making sure she had everything she needed, she hopped out of the bug, and jogged inside.

By the time Emma had finished her work out, taken a shower, and eaten her second grilled cheese sandwich, it was quarter to eight, and her entire body was buzzing with anticipation. Grinning as she drove around the town looking for Mifflin Street, the blonde couldn't seem to contain herself. Her mouth was dry, her hands were clammy, and she felt an odd tightness in her chest at the thought of seeing her teacher. As if on cue, her cellphone buzzed to life, and she eagerly grabbed it as she turned down the street she had been looking for.

 _Are you on your way?_

 ** _Yeah, on your street now._**

 _You shouldn't be texting and driving, Ms. Swan_

Sighing, Emma pulled over onto the side of the road and took a moment to look at the house beside her. Number 99. She was close. Shifting the gear into park, and turning the car off, the blonde chewed on her lip as she thought leaving her car where it was would be best. Although she loved her beat up yellow bug, she couldn't help but realize how noticeable it was. It was the only one of its kind in Storybrooke, and Emma didn't want to risk someone finding out she had been at Regina's house, regardless of what may, or may not transpire.

Unbuckling her seatbelt, and shifting to leave, the blonde quickly typed out a message before she got out of the car:

 ** _Few houses away, walking the rest, be there in a minute._**

The rain had gotten worse while she was at the gym, it was cold, and raw, and tore at her cheeks, and hands as she rushed down the street. Splashing through the deep puddles, Emma started to shiver from the cold as she wind rushed passed her violently. Counting the houses the best she could through the darkness, and the blurry curtain of rain, the blonde found herself in front of a large, white mansion and stood for a moment, re-counting the houses to make sure it was the correct one. It was. And the looming structure immediately intimidated her even more than the woman who lived within it. Taking a breath, Emma licked the rainwater from her lips, pushed open the gate, and walked up the walkway to the front door.

With chattering teeth, and sopping hair, the blonde knocked loudly on the white door, her knuckles burning. Waiting only a moment, Emma took a hesitant step back when the door was flung open, and Regina stood before her, beautiful and welcoming. Before she had a chance to say anything, the teacher was pulling her into the house and peeling her soaked, red leather jacket from her arms.

"You changed," Emma stuttered between shivers as her green eyes appreciated the low cut black dress the brunette was wearing, her attention focused on the ample amount of cleavage that was on display, "is it for me?"

"Perhaps," Regina smirked, her dark eyes gleaming mischievously, "but would you want to know if it wasn't?"

"Probably not," the blonde chuckled, her words coming out stilted from the chill that continued to rattle through her bones, "but I'm selfish."

"Then it was all for you, dear." The teacher breathed, winking as she ran her hands along Emma's freezing arms.

"Come," Regina started, pulling the blonde deeper into the house, "let's get you warmed up."

Allowing the older woman to drag her through the beautiful house, Emma gazed around absently, awestruck by such a clean, and luxurious home. Feeling out of her element, the blonde looked to the floor as they continued on. Worrying her bottom lip, Emma wondered if, perhaps, her thoughts from earlier were something she needed to concern herself with. If things were going to happen between her and Regina, then eventually the brunette would inevitably find out about her living arrangements. But, the fear of what the teacher might think made Emma stiffen and she tried to push it out of her mind. This was something she could fret over at another time.

"Sit," Regina instructed softly, yet sternly, pulling the blonde from her haze.

Scanning the room they were in, Emma noticed that the living room was just as breathtaking as every other area of the house she had seen, and it made the blonde's stomach clench. Sighing, Emma sat down on a chair in front of the fire and instantly felt her body reacting to the overwhelmingly pleasurable warmth. Noticing the brunette watching her from the corner of her eye, Emma turned and looked at her, a question glimmering in her green eyes.

"You're beautiful," the teacher confessed, her voice low, and warm.

Feeling her cheeks grow uncomfortably warm, the blonde averted her gaze and looked back into the fire, watching as the flames danced and flickered delicately. Her heart was pounding so fervently in her chest that she swore Regina could hear it, and she swallowed hard in hopes of calming herself. But, nothing seemed to help, and she gazed over at her teacher, who was standing by the fire, her face awash in an orange glow, playing over the curves and slopes of her beautiful face.

"So, I think we need to talk," Emma started slowly, drawing Regina's attention.

"You're absolutely right," the brunette nodded, moving to sit beside the younger woman, her body brushing against the blonde's as she sat. "I think we should start with what the issue at hand is."

"Which is what?" The blonde asked awkwardly, feeling rather dumb for not immediately knowing.

"Our mutual attraction," Regina pointed out, her tongue sweeping across her full, lower lip, "and how that affects us, and our lives."

"It isn't illegal," Emma piped up, "I'll be twenty next month."

"I know, dear," the brunette chuckled, ghosting her hand across the blonde's jean clad leg, "I know more about you than you know."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"And yet, your age doesn't make any of this easier," the teacher whispered, her hand making full contact with Emma's thigh, rubbing slowly, "being consenting adults doesn't change the fact that I am still your teacher, and you are still my student."

"But why?" The blonde asked, her words lodging in her throat at the sensations Regina was stirring up within her body. "Doesn't that account for something?"

"No, not really," Regina smirked, her fingers gripping down and making Emma's eyes flutter, "it doesn't change the school's policy."

"Well," Emma breathed, biting down on the inside of her cheek for some kind of stability, "I, for one, think that's bullshit."

The sound of the brunette's laughter made the blonde's heart stall in her chest, and a flood of warmth work its way through her extremities. Everything about her teacher was intoxicating, and Emma was quickly losing control as her body trembled. Regina seemed to notice and she raised a hand, cupping the blonde's chin within her palm and forcing the younger girl's green eyes to meet her's.

"I want you," the brunette rasped, her teeth grazing against her bottom lip, "but I can't have you."

The words shook Emma to her core and she found her body moving of its own volition, leaning closer, and closer towards the older woman. Their breaths mingled as they inched nearer, their lips almost brushing. The blonde gasped as she felt long, needy fingers grasp onto her hips, pulling her even closer still. Regina's pupils were blown wide, and she was gazing at Emma as if she were starving, and just as the blonde plucked the courage to separate the distance between them, a strange whirring sound reverberated throughout the large house, before all the lights blew out.

"Great timing," Regina hissed sarcastically, shifting away from the younger woman. "I'll grab us some candles."

"You're such a romantic," the blonde joked, seeing the teacher glare at her in the warm light of the fire.

As she watched Regina stand, and exit the living room, Emma felt something inside of her ache, and before she could stop herself, she was following behind the brunette quietly. Guided by the dim light the moon, and random bursts of lightening offered, the blonde found herself in what she assumed was the kitchen, her teacher's dark form only a few paces away.

Taking a deep breath, Emma separated the distance between them, and watched quietly as Regina searched a cupboard for candles. The pale moonlight that pooled in from the window didn't offer much, but it was enough that the blonde could see just how tantalizing the sight of the brunette bending over in that tight, black dress was. Supressing a moan, Emma stepped closer until her pelvis brushed against her teacher's backside, making Regina stiffen in the darkness, her hands gripping the counter.

"Emma…" the teacher whispered, as she stood, gasping as the blonde's body made full contact with her's, "…I shouldn't."

"Tell me to stop," Emma breathed, her breaths erratic and hot as she ran her hands along Regina's generous hips, and slowly turned her around, "tell me to stop, and I will."

Biting down hard on her bottom lip as the blonde's firm hands gripped her hips forcefully, the brunette nearly moaned as she leaned in closer. Her body was trembling and Emma could feel it on her fingertips as she knelt her head, placing feather light kisses along Regina's defined jaw before hovering against her ear.

"Tell me to stop," the blonde repeated, that time with more urgency, as her hands shifted to Regina's ass and thrust her against herself.

"No," the brunette growled suddenly, her head lolling back as Emma began running her tongue along her throat, "don't stop."

Running her fingers agonizingly slowly up, and down Regina's thighs, the blonde felt the older woman shiver beneath her touch, and she groaned deeply in her diaphragm. Ghosting her hands under the material of Regina's dress, Emma wrapped her fingers around the backs of the brunette's legs, easing her onto the counter in one swift, fluid motion. A hot gasp fell from Regina's parted lips as her breathing grew heavy and strained within her chest.

"God," the blonde moaned, her nails raking up the tops of her teacher's thighs until the tips of her fingers brushed against the hem of lace panties, "the things I want to do to you."

"Is that right?" Regina whispered, leaning closer against the blonde, her hands running along toned arms, fingers gripping the thin material of Emma's tank top straps. "Well," the brunette continued, her voice low, and smooth, "perhaps we should start with this…"

As her words tapered off, the teacher pulled roughly on the fabric in her hands, forcing Emma flush against her. Their lips brushed lightly before both women surged forward, their mouths meeting in a chaotic kiss. It was messy, and demanding, filled with teeth, and tongues, and they both moaned noisily into the other's mouth; greedily swallowing each other's pleasure.

The teacher's fingers were tangled in the blonde's hair, and Emma's hands were gripping Regina's thighs, forcing them to spread further apart. Everything was fiery, and electric, and the blonde wasn't sure how much more she could take before her entire body imploded within itself. Rolling her eyes into the back of her head, Emma started to pull back to catch her breath, and a moment of sanity, but paused as she felt Regina bite down on her bottom lip, and she hissed with satisfaction as they parted.

"Fuck," Emma breathed as her mouth dropped to the brunette's throat once more, nipping and sucking against the pulse point there, intending to leave a mark.

Feeling the older woman writhing in pleasure against her egged the blonde on further, and she reached back beneath Regina's dress, wrapping her fingers around the material of her underwear and quickly pulled them down long, sculpted legs, letting them drop to the floor.

"Now, now, Emma," Regina scolded hotly, her teeth biting against the lobe of the blonde's ear as she brushed Emma's demanding hands from between her thighs. "Not yet."

"Then when?" The blonde asked in a whimper, her fingers digging into the brunette's hips, pleading.

"When I say so," Regina rasped, her voice commanding and harsh, "and I didn't say so."

Feeling a warm, wet tongue caress her ear, Emma moaned and sunk against the older woman's body, her knees giving out from the agonizing wealth of need that burned her from the inside out.

"You're cruel," Emma pouted, her breath catching in her throat as sharp nails dug into the flesh of her back, breaking skin.

"Oh, Emma," Regina moaned, the hint of a chuckle in her voice as she continued to scrape her nails against the sensitive flesh of the blonde's spine, "you have _no_ idea."

"Show me then," Emma whispered, her breathing ragged, and her lips trembling, but there was a challenge glittering in her eyes that was unmistakable even in the darkness.

Watching with hooded green eyes, the blonde saw a flash of something pass over Regina's face in the failing light of the moon. Dark eyes were gleaming with warning, full lips parted with heavy breaths, and Emma could have sworn she felt the brunette's entire body convulse beneath her hands. But, she didn't have ample time to acknowledge the other woman's reaction to her words, as she was quickly rewarded with delicious pressure between her thighs, Regina's palm cupping her sex.

"Such a dirty girl," the older woman groaned, her voice dripping with raw arousal as her hand began rubbing harder between Emma's legs, "I can feel how wet you are through your jeans."

"Fuck, Regina," the blonde gasped, her chest aching with how hard her heart was pounding, "you're gonna make me come."

The moment her words were filtered through the air, Emma felt the older woman roughly tugging at her jeans, and thrusting her hand within the tight confines. The blonde's head rolled back as she felt demanding fingers rubbing her clit too quickly for her body to handle. Violent shudders wracked Emma's frame as her nails dug into Regina's shoulders, holding on with all the strength she could muster.

Everything was white, and hot, and the blonde felt herself falling forward as two fingers entered her, fucking her hard, and fast. Leaning her damp forehead against Regina's neck, Emma slowly moved one shaking hand down her body, unfastening her jeans to offer the other woman more room to move. The brunette thanked Emma for the gesture by quickening her pace, and the blonde cried out, panting and moaning in Regina's ear. Feeling the body beneath her stiffen with pleasure, Emma hissed in pain as the brunette grabbed a fistful of her golden hair and tugged, forcing Emma to look her in the eye.

"Tell me when you're about to come," Regina panted, her fingers curling inside the blonde as she bit down on her own bottom lip.

Nodding feebly within her teacher's grip, Emma took a shaking breath before she leaned in, pressing her swollen lips to Regina's. The brunette's mouth welcomed her eagerly, a tongue tracing along her bottom lip before flickering inside. Moaning into the kiss, the blonde sucked Regina's tongue deeper into her mouth as she felt her body start to convulse.

Opening her eyes, Emma heard the familiar whirring sound of electricity before the room was suddenly flooded with light, the power miraculously clicking back on. Pulling away from the kiss in surprise, the blonde looked at her teacher: glazed, dark eyes gazed at her hungrily, full lips were smeared and swollen, and black hair was disheveled and sticking to glistening cheeks, Regina was absolutely luminous. The very sight made Emma's center viciously clench around the talented fingers that continued to pump inside of her.

"I'm—fuck," the blonde nearly sobbed, licking her lips as the amount of pleasure surging through her body became almost painful, "I'm gonna come."

Hearing a low, guttural moan pulled from her teacher's throat, Emma felt her knees begin to buckle, and her muscles begin to spasm. But, before she was able to reach orgasm, the blonde felt Regina pull away slowly, her hand removing from the inside of Emma's jeans. Green eyes widened in bewilderment as her chest heaved, and her fingernails dug into the supple flesh of the brunette's thighs. Looking up at the older woman, Emma watched as Regina's lips curled into a devilish smirk before she placed two of her fingers into her mouth, and sucked the blonde's wetness from them, humming in delight.

"What the fuck?" The blonde nearly screamed, her entire body aching and shuddering.

"What?" Regina questioned back coyly as she pulled her finger from her mouth, "you asked me to show you how cruel I could be."

"I didn't mean it like _that_ ," Emma grumbled, letting her body fall against the brunette's.

"Semantics," Regina chuckled quietly, wrapping her arms around the younger woman.

The two women stayed there like that until the blonde's breathing evened out, and her body stopped shivering. Feeling one, soft, final stroke against her hair, Emma took a step back as Regina gently nudged her away. Gracefully, the brunette slid off of the countertop and stepped onto the floor, the blonde letting her hands absently roam up, and over full hips before resting on Regina's waist. Pulling the teacher closer to her, Emma leaned in and kissed the brunette; soft, and sensuous. Regina smiled into the kiss as she slowly walked them out of the kitchen, their mouths never parting.

"Are you seriously going to leave me wanting?" Emma sighed, as she pulled away from the languid kiss, noticing they had entered the foyer.

"Oh yes," Regina breathed, pleasure rumbling throughout her body as she lightly pushed the blonde against the front door, her lips leaving gentle, wet kisses against Emma's jawline. "We still have much to discuss," she whispered, but her lips twitched as she continued, "plus, I want your level of need to be _unbearable_ when I properly fuck you."

"God, you're good," the blonde chuckled, feeling a needy pulse between her legs.

Several moments passed as the two women continued to kiss, tease, and touch one another pressed up against the door. It was if they couldn't keep their hands or lips off of one another since they had finally crossed that dreaded line. It was dangerous, insane, and intoxicating, and both women could feel the impacts of the other running hot through their veins. Eventually, though, after many long minutes, Emma finally fastened her jeans, grabbed her jacket off of the coat rack, and began to head out the door, but was stopped by a persistent hand against her hip.

"And, Emma?" Regina whispered, feeling the cool air from outside waft over her heated skin. "Don't you dare touch yourself." Pausing as she watched Emma's brow crinkle in confusion at her warning, the brunette bit down on her lip before she continued. "I want the next fingers that make you come to be _mine_."

Before Emma could stutter out a response, she found herself gently pushed outside, and the door closed in her face. Closing her eyes as she took a deep, centering breath, the blonde couldn't help the dorky grin that pulled against her mouth. Shaking her head, Emma shoved her hands into her pockets as she jogged through the rain, and down the street towards her car. The cold water that pummeled against her gave Emma momentary relief before she jumped into her yellow bug.

The events of the night burned through the backs of her eyes as she started up the vehicle and drove away down the road, her body tensing and shuddering at the mere thought. She could still taste Regina on her tongue, and smell her all over her skin, and the frenzy it caused between her legs was nearly unbearable. The only thing holding her together as she slowly pulled up outside of the diner was that someday soon, she would get the relief she so desperately needed by Regina's hand.

Smiling at the notion as she shut the car off and crawled into the back, Emma awkwardly pulled off her wet jeans and underwear and threw on a pair of sweatpants. Yawning as she shifted her things around, the blonde curled up on the cold, backseat, pulling the thin, worn blanket around her tired body. Sleep came to her quickly, all of her muscles aching and exhausted with frustration, and she fell into vivid dreams of dark eyes, full lips, and talented fingers that could make her scream.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, lovely readers! So, this chapter is one of the longest so far, I truly hope you don't mind, but there was so much I wanted to put into this one. I've read it over several times, and I'm quite pleased with it. But, I hope it reads well for all you, and flows the way it is suppose to. Anyway, I'm quite proud of this chapter so I really hope you all enjoy it! Please let me know your thoughts in the form of a comment/review!**


	5. Something Sweeter

**Chapter Five:** _Something Sweeter_

* * *

The pavement had still been slick, and glittering from the evening's torrent of rain. The wetness of the ground being the only remaining trace of the mild storm, as brilliant sunlight shone, and a warm breeze blew through the town. Emma was thankful for the warmer weather as she walked down Mifflin Street, enjoying the stillness, and quietness the early Saturday morning offered.

The blonde had found herself waking at an obscene hour, and tried several times to fall back asleep, and yet there was no tiredness left in her frustrated frame. Instead, she got up, got ready for the day, and took a walk, absently following the path she had taken the evening before. A chill ran up her spine as she remembered the events that had transpired; the outline of Regina's house coming into view as she felt the phantom touches the older woman had offered her several hours before.

It hadn't initially been her plan to go to her teacher's house, especially at such an early hour in the day, and yet that thought didn't stop her. Instead, if anything, it only spurred Emma on further until she stood just outside the looming, white house. Staring up into the curtained windows, the blonde wondered if the dark woman was still sleeping, or if, she too, were unable to sleep due to the residual need from the night before.

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Emma stepped forward, passing through the gate and began walking up the path towards Regina's front door. She wasn't sure if what she was doing was the best of ideas, but the blonde couldn't seem to contain herself any longer, and it was as if she couldn't make logical decisions when it came to the older woman. And so, she kept walking, kept taking steps closer, the uncertainty was like lead weighing down on her stomach.

A flash of something in the corner of her eye gave Emma pause as she silenced the internal struggle within herself and turned towards the driveway. A large, gold Cadillac sat parked there behind the teacher's black Mercedes. Narrowing her eyes, the blonde gave the car another quick glance, feeling something in the back of her mind clicking, as if she had seen it somewhere before. Though, the thought was fleeting, and Emma turned to leave, until she heard the door thrust open. Her entire body froze as she clenched her eyes shut, willing herself to become invisible.

"Ms. Swan?" A quiet, familiar voice whispered incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

Turning around, the blonde's mouth fell open as she saw her teacher standing on her doorstep. Regina's body was encased in a slate blue, silk robe, her long, toned legs on full display as the flimsy fabric only fell to mid-thigh. Her face was luminous and devoid of any make up, and the sight made Emma completely forget how to speak, her eyes widening, and her mouth opening and closing as if she were a fish gulping for air. Dark eyes pierced her own then, and the blonde shook her head, willing herself to speak before she was turned to ash by those fiery, brown eyes.

"I just…" digging her hands more deeply into her pockets, Emma found herself taking slow, hesitant steps forward. "I just wanted to see you."

"At seven o'clock in the morning?" Regina nearly squawked, her teeth clenched as she closed the door further behind her. Pinching the bridge of her nose, the brunette took a breath and continued, lowering her voice, "without so much as a text, or a call?"

Tightening her jaw, Emma dug her nails into her palms as she shoved her hands even deeper into her pockets. She felt like a complete idiot, she should never have come. Yet, that didn't stop her from continuing to draw nearer, until the tips of her boots pressed against the edge of the stoop, kicking against it lightly. Drawing out a sharp breath, the blonde looked up to meet Regina's persistent, questioning gaze, dark eyes wide with irritation.

"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, okay?" Emma spit out, a bit more defeated than she had intended, and shook her head, clearing away the unfounded emotions building in her throat, and replaced them with something more acerbic. "I just thought after last night…I wouldn't be _interrupting_."

A dark brow quirked in question, and the brunette leaned forward as her face took on an expression as if to ask ' _what the hell are you talking about?_ ' In response, Emma's green eyes moved from the teacher's face and over to the driveway. Shifting her focus, Regina's full lips parted as she found the blonde staring at the second car in her driveway. Snapping her eyes back to Emma, the brunette pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes trying to belie the panic that was hammering within her chest, which didn't go unnoticed by the younger woman.

"You need to leave," Regina warned, her voice quiet, but commanding, "now."

"Not until I get some answers." The blonde whispered back, her arms coming to rest on her hips in a stance of challenge.

Rolling her brown eyes in pure annoyance, the teacher opened her mouth to say something, but stopped suddenly, her body stiffening. Hearing footsteps emanating from the staircase, Regina reflexively grabbed Emma by the wrist and pulled her beneath the overhang of the balcony, keeping her from sight.

Their bodies pressed together, and the blonde could feel her teacher's stilted breaths against her cheek as she tried to peer within the small crack of the barely opened door. Feeling the woman's hand clamp tighter around her wrist, Emma pulled back, her mouth drawn into a thin, displeased line.

"Regina, darling, are you alright?"

The soft lilt of the man's voice coming from the foyer made the blonde roll her green eyes in sardonic amusement. The poor man was hopelessly oblivious. But the expression didn't last long as Emma felt nails dig into her skin, and her body dragged more firmly against her teacher's. Eyeing the older woman beneath her eyelashes, the blonde couldn't help but marvel at her natural, glowing beauty as annoyance and fear licked at dark brown eyes.

"Yes," Regina called, her voice raising an octave, "I'm fine…just collecting the newspaper."

Holding their breaths collectively, the two women let the air rush from their lungs as they heard the firm footsteps draw deeper into the house, and further away from their tangled bodies. Huffing in relief, the brunette withdrew herself from Emma and pointed to the road, mouthing ' _go_ ' as she shook her finger with emphasis.

"No," Emma sighed under her breath, her green eyes locking onto wide, dark ones, "not until I get an explanation."

Seething, the teacher glared at the blonde for a quick moment before turning to the door, and pressing it open further. Scanning the area, her dark eyes sweeping throughout the entryway, Regina took another relieved breath as she noticed no one was there. Turning back to Emma, the brunette let herself digest the situation at hand while her heavy gaze raked up and down the younger woman's form. Biting down hard on her cheek, Regina pushed the door open soundlessly, and tugged the blonde behind her into the house, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision.

Gaping at the action, not truly believing the older woman could be so daring, Emma tripped into the foyer and pushed against her teacher clumsily. Shooting a searing glance over her shoulder, Regina hurriedly guided the blonde towards the staircase, essentially shoving her up the steps.

"Not a word," the brunette ground out beneath clenched teeth as she motioned for Emma to go upstairs.

Nodding wordlessly, the blonde tip toed up the steps quietly, holding her breath until she found herself at the top. Taking a shaking breath, Emma pressed herself against a wall, hiding from sight. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest from the wealth of various emotions that were spinning out of control in her body. Confusion, irritation, arousal, fear, and something else niggling, and familiar that Emma did not even want to consider.

Several moments passed, with the blonde hidden away in the upstairs hallway, her tense back pushed against the wall. She could hear faint mumbling, the two people downstairs talking idly, and the sound made Emma roll her eyes. This entire situation was stupid, the blonde should have just left well enough alone and gone home when Regina had asked. Yet, as her jaw tensed, and she heard Regina and _whoever_ , start to walk towards the front door, Emma couldn't help the sudden wave of vexation that riddled her bones.

Leaning forward as she heard the door open, the blonde both hoped, and dreaded, she would catch a glimpse of this mystery man. But, as her gaze finally reached the entry, all that she could see was her teacher pressed within the space of the open door. Cursing, and taking a relieved breath simultaneously, Emma stepped forward, and found herself regretting it as she saw a hand cup the back of the brunette's head, pulling her further outside as if in a kiss. The action left a bad taste in her mouth, and the blonde clung to the railing as she watched Regina take a step back and close the door.

Watching the woman closely, Emma saw the older woman's shoulders slump before she turned around, bringing the back of her hand to her mouth and wiping, as if she hoped it would remove the residue of the kiss from her full lips. Unease radiated from the brunette's body as she leaned against the door, sighing heavily. The way Regina's body glided through the movements made Emma wonder if this was a practiced ritual the older woman did frequently. But, her pondering was cut short as her curious green eyes met furious dark ones. The brunette's body stiffened as she pushed away from the door and rushed up the stairs, her gaze never leaving the blonde.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Regina asked once she was at the top of the stairs, stepping into Emma's personal space. "What made you think—in any capacity—that this was appropriate?"

"Like I said," the blonde started, her eyes falling to the older woman's parted lips, "I thought after _last night_ it wouldn't be a big deal."

"Don't be naïve, Ms. Swan," the older woman huffed, brushing past Emma as she vanished away into a room across the hall.

Sighing, the blonde slowly followed after Regina, finding herself in the master bedroom alone. Her forehead creased in confusion when she noted that the room was empty, until the sound of a tap running alerted Emma of the en suite. Stalking further into the room, the blonde leaned against the doorway of the bathroom, watching as the older woman furiously brushed her teeth, as if trying to rid her mouth of a bad taste. The kiss from _that man_. A smirk curled the edges of Emma's lips at the thought.

"So, you're married?" The blonde scoffed, ignoring the glare from Regina as she spit into the sink. "Funny, I didn't see a ring while you were fucking me last night."

Gaping for only the fraction of a moment, the brunette swished water around in her mouth before depositing it into the sink. Pushing herself away from the porcelain, the older woman stood up straight, shoulders squared, and her dark eyes gleaming dangerously.

"That's because _I am not_ married." The tone of Regina's voice was cold, as she wiped at her lips with a towel.

"Then who was that?"

The teacher flinched at the rawness in Emma's voice, her dark eyes widening as she noted the familiar inflection of the younger woman's tone. But she quickly shook the uncertain realization away. If Regina didn't find the entire idea preposterous, she would have thought the scathing question was conceived out of jealousy.

"That's none of your business, Ms. Swan."

"You're right, your life is none of my business." Emma conceded, lifting her hands in surrender before she entered the bathroom, her confident steps betraying the war that was waging within her stomach. "But, it becomes my business when you involve me."

"And how exactly have I involved you, dear?" The older woman's tone was clipped as she placed one hand on her hip, the other gripped the edge of the sink.

Taking a final step until her chest pressed against Regina's, the blonde leaned forward, relishing in the feel of the brunette's body instantly responding to the closeness.

"Need I repeat the fact that you _fucked_ me last night?" Emma whispered, her hot breath lapping against Regina's ear and eliciting the smallest of groans.

"Oh, for Heaven's sake, Ms. Swan." The brunette breathed, her voice low as she leaned away from the younger woman, and pushed more tightly against the sink.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because there is nothing to tell."

The words made Emma seethe, and she grit her teeth with indignation. They had flirted, they had crossed a line, and yet the blonde still couldn't get the older woman to admit to anything. It made her stomach fill with licking flames as her entire body pulsed and tensed with conflicting emotions. This woman, this Regina Mills, was quickly becoming more than Emma thought she could handle. And yet, the blonde knew, with every fiber of her being that regardless of what their conversation would reveal, or hide about the other, Emma would continue to come back for more.

"So, what?" The blonde husked, her green eyes growing dark with the agitation and arousal heightening in her body, as she let her hand ghost against the swell of Regina's silken clad hip, hating herself for being so weak. "You just expected we'd keep doing this— _whatever this is_ —and I would never find out?"

"No." Regina confessed, her dark eyed gaze falling to the firm hand against her hip, and she bit down on her tongue to stop the trembles that washed through her frame. "There is nothing to tell because I expected that nothing would happen between us."

"Well something _did_ happen between us." Emma whispered, her voice shaking with the hint of an unspeakable emotion as she took a step back. "So, there _is_ something to tell."

"I'm fully aware, Ms. Swan." Dark eyes rolled languidly, as Regina bit out a response, ignoring the last sentence. Her body betrayed her as she stepped away from the sink, separating the distance the blonde had just created between them. "I'm not denying that."

"And you enjoyed it!" The younger woman almost wailed, her hands forming into tight knuckled fists at her frustration. "Jesus, Regina, you even told me it would happen again."

Taking a breath, Emma tried to collect herself, and her emotions. She felt betrayed, but her feelings were unjust—her teacher owed her nothing. "Why all the lies?"

Silence descended upon the room then, as both women stared openly at each other with a combination of misplaced resentment, and ferocious lust. The deathly mixture was begging to rip the both of them apart. Chests were heaving, and eyes were glazed. The tension was thick, and suffocating as the air crackled with pure kinetic electricity. Regina took a step forward, and the blonde's body bristled as the movement sliced through the energy separating them. Everything was tingling, and Emma swore she could feel the floor shift beneath her feet, watching with hooded eyes as the older woman approached her agonizingly slowly.

"I wasn't lying," the brunette whispered, her eyes darkening as she placed her palm against the blonde's chest, pushing lightly until she felt Emma press against the wall. "I meant what I said."

"But you're married." The blonde pleaded, as if saying the words enough would make them real. If they were real then perhaps Emma could find a way out of this choking connection.

"For the last time, Emma, _I am not married_." The very thought made Regina disgusted and her words came out far too harshly before she could stop herself. "What you saw, who was here—it is merely a relationship of convenience, nothing more."

Closing her eyes, Emma sunk against the wall in defeat. Between the conviction of the older woman's words, and her palm pressed up to her chest was more than the blonde could bear. Part of her wanted to believe Regina's words, and the other wished they were lies. Her body felt weary, and tired, and she was so exhausted of the emotional tornado the brunette continuously spurred on within her body. It was too much. It wasn't enough.

"What?" Emma croaked, she sounded far too vulnerable, and it made the blonde grimace as she swallowed hard. "He's just your fuck buddy, then?"

"We aren't exclusive, if that is what you're asking." The teacher said slowly, licking her lips distractedly as she felt the younger woman's chest rise and fall beneath her hand.

Leaning into the unforgiving touch, Emma lifted her gaze to Regina's, and shivered at the hunger that resided there. All resolve seeming to dissolve within her muscles.

"Does he know there's someone else?" The question was a whisper, and the blonde watched the teacher closely as she thought of a proper response.

"He didn't say anything," Regina began, her hand running along the younger woman's chest, and up her neck to get lost in tousled blonde hair. "But, he isn't a stupid man, Emma. I'm sure he knew something was going on when he saw the state I was in last night."

"And what state was that?"

The question was laced with innocence, belying the blonde's knowledge from the night before. The expression that invaded Regina's face in that moment mirrored the one she had worn while her fingers were buried deep within Emma's core. The sight of it made the younger woman silently gasp, her breaths becoming laboured as the brunette's brown eyes became black with heat. Wetness pooled between Emma's quaking thighs as the teacher leaned forward, her full lips playing across her ear as she breathed heavily before speaking.

"I was ravenous." Regina growled quietly, her teeth coming to nip gently against the sensitive flesh beneath the blonde's ear.

"Because of me?" Emma gasped, audibly that time, at the delicious contact.

"For a smart girl, you can be quite dense." The brunette chuckled, as her nose nuzzled against the younger woman's neck, breathing deeply, as if taking in Emma's scent.

"Yes, it was because of you. You make me lose control of myself in such a primal way." Groaning loudly as her hands slid down the blonde's body until she was grasping her hips. Regina pulled their bodies closer together. "Which is ridiculous, we barely know each other, and yet…"

Pausing as she lifted her head, dark, hooded eyes watched as Emma bit down on her lip in anticipation of her teacher's next words. "I can't seem to help myself."

"Did he—" Gulping down the moan that was lodged within her throat, the blonde forced herself to speak. "Did he sate your appetite?"

Another, more pungent crackle of energy burst between them as dark eyes flashed, a devilish grin spreading across the brunette's full, rosy lips. The vision made Emma's sex pulsate viciously and she arched her back against the wall to offer more contact against the spellbinding form pushed against her. It was as if the entire series of events that had led them to that moment miraculously dissipated from Emma's memories to make room for the arousal, and need for Regina that pounded through every aching inch of her body.

"No…" the teacher rasped, her fingers slowly unbuttoning the blonde's jeans, and sliding down the zipper, dark brown eyes never leaving green ones. "I was craving something _sweeter_."

Long eyelashes fluttered against Emma's flushed cheeks as she felt the restrictive material of her pants pulling away, and sliding down her legs. A strangled noise emanated from deep within her body as she watched Regina slowly sink to her knees, gingerly dragging the jeans down with her to the floor. With a dizzy head, and blurring vision, the blonde couldn't help but wonder how she had found herself in this position, and she looked down into dark, glassy eyes staring up at her.

And then it hit her, as the brunette's fingers looped around the waistband of her underwear, and Emma stiffened, her body growing ridged. The memories of the gold Cadillac, and the mystery man bubbling up at the back of her mind, clawing against her persistently.

"Do you love him?" The blonde asked around her ragged breaths, feeling her teacher's movements halt against her skin.

"No," Regina breathed against the flesh of Emma's thigh, her fingers continuing to pull against the red boy shorts, letting them fall, bunched around the blonde's boots with her jeans.

Sucking in a breath as cool air suddenly brushed against the hot, wet skin between her legs, Emma screwed her eyes shut in frustration. All she wanted in that moment was to feel the older woman's mouth on her, but the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to let go and enjoy any of it until she had the rest of her questions answered.

"Do you act like this with him?"

"Excuse me?" Regina asked incredulously, her nails biting into the leather of the boots she was untying. Dark eyes searching the younger woman's face for some semblance of an answer.

"I just mean…" Emma trailed off as her eyes met her teacher's, and she froze. "I just meant—do you _enjoy it_ as much…with _him_ , as you do with _me_?"

"No," the teacher ground out, forcefully pulling off the blonde's boots, "of course not."

Stepping out of the heap of material wrapped around her feet, Emma wobbled slightly, until strong, firm hands held onto her hips, steadying her. Smiling sheepishly, the blonde pressed back against the wall, her hand running through glossy, black hair as she felt fingernails scraping down the lengths of her legs. Moaning quietly, the blonde coaxed Regina on, her hand guiding the brunette's head closer to the space between her thighs. Feeling one of her legs lifted, and deposited onto the teacher's shoulder, Emma arched her hips forward, waiting, impatiently, to be touched by the older woman.

"Now," Regina whispered, her lips placing soft, feather-light kisses against the tender skin leading to the younger woman's most sacred of areas, "are we finished with the insipid questions, dear?"

Nodding without thought, Emma bucked her hips, and earned herself a throaty moan from the brunette. Within a second, the blonde felt diligent fingers spread her slick folds, before full lips wrapped around her clit, sucking fervently. A pleasured sob fell from Emma's lips at the contact, as she felt herself forcing Regina's face closer, aching for more pressure.

Deep vibrations worked their way through Emma's sex as the brunette moaned with abandon against the flesh within her mouth. The added sensation drove the blonde wild, and she clutched black, silky hair between her fingers, tugging without remorse. Thrusting hard and fast against the older woman's talented tongue, Emma's movements faltered as she felt two, probing fingers tease her entrance. Feeling them slide within her depths slowly, a cry stuck in the blonde's throat as she looked down, Regina pulling her mouth away to meet Emma's wide eyes with her own.

The sheer pleasure coating her teacher's face nearly made the blonde come undone. Wetness glistened against the brunette's swollen mouth, and chin, her dark eyes boring into Emma's. Grinning lasciviously as she pumped her fingers faster, Regina's tongue came out to lick the juices from her lips, and it made the blonde's core clamp down against the fingers inside of her.

"I want you to come this time, Emma" the brunette purred, dipping her head back between Emma's thighs, " _hard_."

"Fuck, Regina," the blonde whimpered, her free hand slamming against the wall with a resounding smack. "I'm _so_ close."

Feeling a third finger added to the quick, rhythmic thrusts, Emma cried out, biting down on her bottom lip roughly to stop herself from screaming. A torrent of shudders tumbled through the blonde's muscles and she tensed as she felt her orgasm fast approaching her winded body. Teeth gently grazed against her clit before sucking it back into a hot, wet mouth, and Emma's green eyes widened as her nails dug into the back of Regina's head. A litany of moans, sobs, and cries fell from the blonde's trembling lips as her climax thundered throughout her body.

Growling deeply within the back of her throat as wetness pooled into her mouth, and dripped down her fingers, the brunette continued suckling the shivering woman until her spasms ceased. Hearing an incoherent grunt from above her as she detracted her fingers, Regina placed a gentle kiss against the pulsing folds before she stood.

Emma slumped against the wall at the loss of contact, and energy, fluttering eyes peering at her teacher. The older woman smiled softly as she leaned forward, her fingers brushing away arrant, sweat soaked strands of blonde hair from Emma's face. The act was so gentle, and riddled with such sweetness, that it made the blonde's heart hammer in her chest. A bittersweet taste invaded Emma's mouth then, as she looked into warm, brown eyes. Something inside of her shifted, and she averted her gaze.

Immediately noticing the shift, Regina quirked a dark eyebrow before grasping the younger woman's chin in her hand softly, making Emma look into her eyes once more. Sighing as she saw the question flickering in the brunette's eyes, the blonde took a breath, knowing what she was about to say was going to ruin the moment.

"Would you leave him?"

A moment passed before the teacher's gaze hardened, and she dropped her hand away from the younger woman's face. Emma watched as the brunette's entire frame rippled with discomfort, and the blonde hated that she had to do what she did, and yet a part of her still demanded answers. Answers she really had no right to, but Emma couldn't contain herself. The idea of Regina touching another person, and being _touched_ by another person, made everything in the blonde's body clench, even though she knew her body didn't have the allowance to have such a reaction.

"Why?" The brunette asked, her tone softer than Emma had expected as she turned away. "Why does _he_ matter?"

"I don't know," Emma whispered, moving awkwardly against the wall. "It doesn't make any sense."

"You're right, it doesn't," Regina clipped, letting the silk robe fall from her shoulders into a delicate puddle on the floor. "So drop it."

Distracted momentarily by the sudden flash of olive skin, the blonde's lips parted, a heavy breath pressing between her teeth. Removing her tank top, and socks, Emma watched the teacher for a period of time. Mesmerized by the way the hot water cascaded down Regina's tantalizing body, making her skin gleam in the light that pooled in from the window. Licking her lips, the blonde waited another beat before she followed.

Entering the spacious shower, the blonde noted that Regina hadn't budged as she stepped into her space, almost like she knew that Emma wouldn't be able to stay away. For a brief moment the blonde cursed the older woman for having that kind of power over her, but the thought was fleeting as she found herself pressing her body against her teacher's.

The delicious pressure of Regina's shapely ass smooshed against her pelvis made Emma groan inwardly as her hands rested on the brunette's hips. The older woman made no point to move, instead she slithered closer as she slicked her black hair back, letting it fall to the middle of her back.

Unable to control herself, Emma ran her hands up a slick, toned stomach before her hands cupped Regina's breasts, smirking as she heard the woman moan quietly. Rolling hardened nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, the blonde rolled her eyes in bliss as she felt the brunette shudder against her, another beautiful sound of pleasure falling from her mouth. Feeling rather bold in that moment, Emma leaned forward, her teeth biting along the shell of the teacher's ear.

"Would you?" The blonde persisted, her voice husky, and low, as she added more pressure to the nipples between her fingers "would you leave him?"

"Is it so important to you?" Regina gasped, her back arching into the hands against her breasts.

"Yes," Emma hissed, unable to fathom how much truth her answer held. "It is."

"Tell me," the teacher started, turning suddenly to face the blonde, "…tell me why it's so crucial, and I will give you a proper answer."

Growling with irritation at the obnoxiously penetrating gaze the brunette was giving her, Emma pushed them up against the wall of the shower, the hot water spraying lightly against their bodies. Regina's eyes widened the slightest fraction as her back made contact with the wall, and she sucked in a breath at the intensity hanging within green eyes. The blonde looked away from that heated, prodding gaze, and let her mouth ravage the older woman's neck with teeth, and tongue.

A wet, toned leg wrapped around Emma's hip, pulling her closer, and the blonde moaned as she felt her body make full contact with Regina's. Running her hand along the appendage thrown around her, Emma kissed her way along the teacher's jaw before claiming her lips. Full lips latched onto her's greedily, sucking Emma into her awaiting mouth. Feeling the other woman nibbling on her bottom lip, the blonde shifted her free hand, bringing it between their bodies. The brunette stiffened beneath her, as Emma's fingers ran through slick, swollen folds.

With a gasp, the kiss ended maddeningly too soon, and the blonde circled the tip of her finger against Regina's straining clit, giving her the barest amount of pressure. Chuckling at the frustration that gripped a hold of the teacher's body at her ministrations, Emma's mouth fell back to the brunette's throat, her lips hovering against her ear as water pattered against their tangled bodies.

"You drive me crazy," the blonde confessed, instantly adding more delicious pressure to the bundle of nerves beneath her fingers, "I don't know why, but you do."

The teacher moaned, as if in understanding. As if she felt it too.

"And it makes me selfish," Emma breathed, her fingers running down the length of Regina's sex, pausing at her entrance. "It makes me want you all to myself—and I hate it."

"Is that why you're jealous?" The brunette panted, her dark eyes gazing up at the blonde through the thin torrent of water that caressed them.

Twitching her fingers in confusion, green eyes widened as Emma bit down on her lip. Was that why she was so insistent with her questions? Because she was jealous? The idea totally threw the blonde, and her eyes narrowed in concentration as she pondered what else it could possibly be. Shaking her head, droplets of water dripping off the tips of her hair. Emma couldn't possibly believe that. She wouldn't. They had only known each other for a week—barely. Huffing, in annoyance as she ignored the truth that flooded within her mind, the blonde pushed her fingers inside Regina, ripping a strangled cry from the brunette's throat.

"I'm not jealous," Emma breathed, pumping her fingers hard, and fast as if her thrusts alone would deplete the anxiety she felt rising in the pit of her stomach.

The silence that echoed within her ears seemed to make the blonde more unsure of herself than if Regina would have spoken. Closing her weary green eyes, Emma rested her head against the brunette's forehead, feeling dark eyes burn against her eyelids. Ignoring the sensation, the blonde lifted the leg poised against her hip higher as she added a third finger, earning a delicious, guttural moan from the teacher, her nails digging into Emma's back.

"Harder," Regina panted, watching green eyes snap open at the request, " _fuck me harder_."

Complying without a thought, the blonde felt the muscles in her forearm grow tight, and strained as she pounded her fingers harder, and deeper into the brunette's core. She was gasping for breath as she felt pain radiating from her clawed up back, and she let herself waver in between the cusp of pleasure and pain. But the sight of Regina unraveling before her eyes made the very notion of pain become extinct, as full lips parted in a whimper, dark eyes blinking rapidly.

Surging forward, Emma kissed away the pleading sounds and swallowed them whole, feeling the cries rumble wantonly within her stomach. The brunette's lips trembled against her own, and the blonde could feel Regina's walls tighten viciously against her fingers as she curled them, the pads of her fingers caressing the most delicious of spots.

"Emma…" the teacher whispered against the younger woman's lips, almost begging for release.

Shudders wracked the older woman's frame as Emma pressed her thumb against Regina's clit, circling it gently as her tongue brushed against the brunette's. Their wet bodies bucking against the other's recklessly before a stilted sob pushed their lips apart, as the blonde felt her fingers ache from the vicelike grip surrounding them. Growling as she continued her motions, Emma bit down on her lip as she pulled a second orgasm from Regina's spent body. And then a third. And then a fourth.

"Stop," the brunette whimpered, actually begging this time as her limp hand stilled the fingers between her thighs. "Please."

Sucking in a shuddering breath, Emma pulled her hand away, lifting it to cup the older woman's wet cheek. Dark, tired eyes looked up at the blonde, the laziest of smiles quirking at the corners of her full lips. Brushing the pad of her thumb against Regina's bottom lip in the most tender of touches, Emma leaned forward and left a soft, chaste kiss on the dazed woman's mouth.

"Well," the teacher started, her voice gravely and raw, dark eyes gazing mischievously into the blonde's warm, green ones. "If I end up getting fucked like that every time you're jealous, I'll have to make it a common occurrence."

"I'm not jealous," Emma pouted, her entire body proving that she, indeed, was.

"Of course not, dear," Regina chuckled, her hands wrapping around the blonde's neck, and holding her close.

"But, would you?" The younger woman prodded awkwardly as her fingers brushed the brunette's hair away from her face. "Leave him, I mean?"

"Yes," the older woman whispered, it was said so quietly it was nearly inaudible against the rushing of the water from the shower head. "It's just…complicated."

Biting down against the want—no, the need—to press the conversation, Emma willed herself to be satisfied with what she had been offered. Even that, the blonde thought, was something she felt she didn't truly deserve. But, Regina had been patient, and compliant, for the most part, and so Emma thought it only fair to leave it at that, at least for the time being. There would be plenty of time to have that discussion in the future, and right then, at that moment, all the blonde wanted was to drown in the contented bliss that was pouring over her in waves; to sink into the deep, brown eyes gazing at her with a look of such appreciation and desire. It was all too much, and Emma blinked away the droplets that had formed across her eyelashes, unsure of whether they were the result of shower water, or tears.

The two women gently disentangled and began washing their bodies. Soft, gentle hands helped the other; lathering their hair with shampoo, bathing their skin in soap. It was a level of intimacy neither woman had truly experienced with such intensity before. Something as simple, and mundane as washing another person's body became miraculously erotic as their hands explored, and caressed. It was beautiful, and quiet, and theirs. And as the time wore on, and their skin and hair was thoroughly cleaned, they smiled a knowing smile between themselves, before Regina parted from the shower.

Clambering out of the stuffy, steamy box, Emma leaned against the cool glass as she watched the older woman wrap her wet body in a fluffy, white towel. Appreciating the appraisal of the blonde's gaze, Regina turned around, tucking the material securely before she leaned forward, her hungry lips meeting Emma's in a sweet, slow kiss. The blonde pressed forward, her tongue entering the other woman's mouth tentatively, gently probing, and curling. Regina moaned into the kiss as her hands raised to cup Emma's cheeks, her thumbs lightly brushing against the damp skin before she pulled away.

Dark brown eyes fluttered open, they glittered an attractive shade of mahogany in the warm sunlight, and the blonde felt her knees grow weak as they gazed at her with the utmost softness. Full lips quirked with the hint of a smile before she turned and left the bathroom to start getting dressed.

Fair brows furrowed as she looked to the sink, and back to Regina's retreating form, a brilliant smile spreading across her mouth. The woman didn't brush her teeth after their kiss. And, in that moment, Emma felt that she had bested the mystery man at a childish game he hadn't realized he'd begun playing.

* * *

 **A/N: I swear, every single chapter ends up becoming longer than the last. I know some of you enjoy longer chapters, but I do apologize to those who prefer shorter chapters, clearly I have no shame, haha. But, seriously, this chapter ended up going in a COMPLETELY different direction than I anticipated, and I had to hold off on other things I wanted to build up. So, I truly hope it was worth it. Please let me know how you felt about this chapter in the form of a comment/review! Thank you for reading!**


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